Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-26
POTTER SAYS PEACE
DELAY HURTS j. S.
Former Fuel Head Decries Fact
That Treaty Was Made
Political Issue
RETURNS FROM WAR ZONE

Americas prestige abroad is being
affected by the delay at Washington in
completing the peace agreement, in the
opinion Of William Potter. formerly
federal fuel administrator in, Pennsyl-
vana. Mr.. Potter has lust returned
from n two months trip abroad. lie
is president of Thomas Potter Sons d
Co., Inc. and lives at Stcnton avenue
and Graver's lane. Chestnut Hill.
Mr.. Potter says that the peace treaty
should not have been made political
issue.
at should never have been any
thing but an American question he
said, with all politics stopping at the
frontier" "
Having visited the devastated regions
of France, Mr.. Potter says it is i'm
possible to picture the terrible destruc-
tion except by personal visit.
Quoting Sir William Goode. British
director of relief who few weeks ago
addressed the American Luncheon CLUB
in London. Mr.. Potter said:
Central Europe is on the verge OF
crumbling and first aid is to hasten
peace. The vici)usneSs due TO the hor-
rors of war is never ending. In Hun
gary. tuberculosis has increased lOO
per cent, and % per cent of the chll-
dren are suffering from rickets as re-
suit of malnutrition. My visit in Vienna
was like spending the time in the, cell
OF the condemned. No milk, no put
tor. no eggs and no coal Traffic in the
main thoroughfares is blocked with
funeral professions.
u. s. Holds Solution
'"The final solution of this awful
problem is in the hands of the Ameri'
can people and the American Govern
ment. If America refuses the great
RELIEF work of Mr.. Hoover, of which
the civilized world is proud. the
records will go down to posterity as
task only half done.
Mr.. Potter visited the great national
cemeteries in France, and came away
with the thought in his mind that the
bodies of the heroic dead should lie
there forever.
"On the tenth of this month," he
said. ~ stood beside the grave of one
of my connections in the beautiful
American military cemetery in the town
of Romagne- sous Montfaucon: sur
rounded on every side by the Arrgonne
woods. In this sacred place, said to be
the most beautiful cemetery in France,
lie the bodies of over $4,000 American
bows, and each day more are added to
ihe grim toll. The graves are all
marked with a white cross, and feel
ing of tremendous awe comes over one
TO behold this glistening sea of white.
"a week earle. ] visited the British
Canadian Cemetery on Nimy Ridge.
Here. and wherever the British soldier
is inferred. the cause of his death,
whether from disease, wounds or in
action. is inscribed on the cross which
marks his grave. In the American
cemeteries there are no marks to indi-
cate the cause of death. On the crosses
are inscribed only the name and rank.
"a better way, one thinks, for all
died that the world might be made free,
and the soldier who succumbed to dis :
ease would have been proud to have
made the supreme sacrifice in action at
the front.
On Roosevelt Errand
Gone of my commissions was from
Judge Berry, president of the Ameri
can Chamber of Commerce in France,
70 Mrs NJ. Farrand, of New York. for
the Roosevelt family. They are photo
graphs of Quentin Roosevelt's grave, Il
small sample of the stone to be used in
the monument for his grave and a pic
ture of the design.
"I have returned from England,
where | met Lord Northcliffe. and from
devastated France said Mr.. Potter
"more profoundly convinced than ever
that America can never again return
10 her former isolation. \ wonderful
and world wide reputation is her mani