The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-05-09
I nNDnN EDITOR ADVOCATES WORLD
LOAN TO PUT EUROPE ON HER FEET
fBy United Press. j

New York, May S.--A quick peace,
food and work for Europe, and then
world loan enabling those countries
bankrupted by the war to rehab1litate
themselves-thesea are the immediate
needs of the world today, In the
opinion of Ralph D. Blumenfeld, edi-
Tor of the London Daily Express.
Blumenfe!d, who is one OF the most
influential British publishers, was
born in this country, but has lived IN
England for twenty-seven years, dur
ing which time he has been identified
with the direction of large journal
tstic enterprises. His present visit Is
his first to the United States in fifteen
years. &: .{s;ss tsS
The question Of q quick peace A
. more important than the question 81
the terms OF that peace, Blumenfeld
believes. f.
"DeIay, no matter for what cause,
Is DANGEROUS" he declared In an IN
terview with the United Press. IN
fact, had the peace settlement been
made last November--as II should
have been made--the world would
have been better off today. The I'M
certainty. would have ended prompt
ly, industry would have resumed and
: bolshevism would have kept out OF
western Europe. =
"The close Of the war found nearly
all the belligerents in a state OF
financial collapse. In four years
England spent all of her excess
wealth accumulated during five hun
dred years of commerce. France and
Italy are financially exhausted. Only
the United States and Japan are able
to finance reconstruction on their
own account g35ssr st:5. =
"How are these financially broken
countries to rehabiltate themselves?
There is not money enough in the
world to Immediately meet the debt
under which Europe is staggering.
Germany is ruined and cannot at
once pay an enormous indemnity
though she can and must do so even
aually. Besides, to attempt TO strip
her bare at once would force her into
bolshevism and end all chance of her
paying anything. ty*
! $50 the powers must help Germany
They must loan her money, not be-
cause they pity her or condone her
crimes, but because they must loan
il they expect ever to get large In
demnity from her. Germany Is the
international tramp-a tramp, who
owes much money but has no food,
no business, no job. Before the
tramp's creditors can hope for pay
ment, they must provide the tramp
work, time to meet hts debts and the
opportunity to earn money.
I $50 it Is with Germany. 1t is
necessary to provide her an oppor-
tunity to resume her industry, to re-
habilitate her commerce--to get on
her feet. .- 81. H., IL. =. .z.1zesz.. ..y->5
i "To raise funds for such an under
Il taking, O world loan seems essential.
This would be for about twenty-five
hillion dollars. Let US say England
Z takes 40 per cent the United States
40 per cent, France, Italy and Ger
many large shares and the other
powers smaller amounts. AZ
&"This money put into a central
fund administered by the League OF
Nations, could be loaned to various
powers to enable them to pay their
debts and to finance theirsreconstruc.
ton. It would also make Ii possible
10 provide funds To uernlany TO put
her on her feet and enable her to pay
her just debt to the world. Such
loans as were made from the central
fund for reconstruction work in any
railroads, new indus
trial plants and the liAe--would al.
ways be secured by this newly Great
ed physical property until such time
as the country involved could pay
back the loan and redeem the prop
srty.
( such plan would give the strick
en- countries of the world--even the
enemy countries---work and hope, the
two greatest factors in setting VI
their self-raspect." 49, }s. =
ss Blumenfe,d declared that the wal
had measurabty increased the good
4 feeling. in Great Britain towards the
United States. 81 -e* ~ %
mo singletfactor contributed more
to that Result than the splendid con
duet of the American soldiers in Eng
mnd'" he said THE recent trouble
between the police and American sol
aiers in London was due principally
90 the stupidity of London police
man. The conduct of the Yankee sol
dfers was consistently beyond re
proach.' Ar Fsa, ~ze2sS gss:",
The feeling in many quarters II
England that Germany must b,
helped does not mean that bitterness
against the Germans has abated
Blumenfeld said. IN, -. =.
=. ''That feeling was almost who'll.
the result OF the Gotha raids on Lon
don,,,1said he. "Britons almost ad
q mired the efficiently as fighters Q
the German soldiers early in the war
They had not then the bitterness o
personal feeling against the enem
that developed later. Then came tn
use Of poison gas by the Germans an
the feeling of hatred began. 1t wa
stimulated by the appearances Of tn
sZeppelins over England, but it burs
into full flame when the, Gethas ar
aeared in fleets and began to shove
bombs upon the helpless poor of Lor
don. The terrible hatred which thos
raids engendered will not be forgo
ten for fifty years"