The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-05-20

]
is that her people are alive to the
seriousness of Frances problem, and
they are going forward bravely to
solve that problem.
Italy, despite her great shortage OF
raw material, is looking forward and
not backward. Italy can be relied up
on to do her part.
England is meeting the problems
of reconstruction just as those who
knew her past should have expected
her to meet them.
Plan to Aid Central Europe.
at is not for me, perhaps, to give
/ in detail formula for solution of the
worlds ills, but as 1 have been asked
many times. What would you do?' 1
am glad to give my own answer, ac-
cordingly 1 would ask:
81. That congress Immediately pass
bill appropriating sum not to ex-
coed $500, 100000 for the use of central
and eastern Europe
-. That congress call upon the
President to appoint a non-politica1
commission of three Americans, dis
| tinguished for their character and ex-
ecutive ability and commanding the
respect of the American people. Such
commission should include men Of
the type of General Pershing, Mr.
Hoover or Ex-Secretary Lane. / would
| invest that commission with complete
power.
SO. l would have the commission
instructed to proceed at once, ac-
companied by proper personnel, to sur
Vey conditions in Central and Eastern
Europe and then act for the restora-
ton of those countries under such con-
ditions and upon such terms as the
commission itself may decide to be-
practicable and effective. Among the
conditions should be provided that
there should be no local interference
with the free and untrammeled exer-
else by the commission of its own pre-
negative of allocating materials. Gov
ernmental politics should be elimin-
ated: unreasonable and prejudicial
barriers between the various coun-
tries should be removed, and such sub
stantial guarantees as may be avail
able should be exacted in order that
the conditions imposed should be full
filled
a As to financial terms, l should
make them liberal. I would charge no
interest for the first three years; for
the next three years, six per cent, with
provision that such interest might be
funded if the economic conditions Of
the country were not approaching nor
NAL, or if its exchange conditions
were so adverse as to make payment
unduIy burdensome, 1 should make the
maturity of the obligation Is years
from it's date, and 1 should have
no doubt as to its final payment.
"5. Immediately the plan was S45op-
ted I would have our government in
vite other governments in a position
to assist, to participate in the under
taking.
IS. To set forth completely my
opinion, I should add that in the final
instructions the American people,
through their government, should say
to the commission: We want you
TO go and do this Job in such a man
ner, as after study, you think it should
be done This is no ordinary under
taking The American people trust
would also say to- the commission:
Use so much of this money as is need
ed personally, I am confident that
with the assistance and cooperation
which would come from other parts OF
the world the sum of S500,0OO,O0O from
the United States would be more chan
enough to start these countries on
their way to self-support and restera-
ton of normal conditions, The whole
plan of course, involves many prac-
teal considerations, the most serious
of which is that of obtaining the
money, whether by issuing additional
liberty Bonds, an increase in the float
ing debt or by taxation! But l think
ury department.: We know how Sc
rious your financial problems are; I'VE
know the difficulties which are immes
diately confronting you; we know the
Importance of deflation, and we know
that the government must econoulfze
and that individuals must economics,
but we also know that the American
government advanced so, 000, GOO, 06o.
to its Allies to attain victory and
peace. Certainly it is worth making
the additional advance IN order to realz
ize the peace for which we have al
ready struggled, for nothing is more
certain than that until normal condi-
tions are restored in Europe there can
be no peace
above all things, would say, that
whatever action is taken should be
taken Immediately. The crisis is so
acute that the situation does not adj
nit of delay, except with the possible
ity of consequences one hardly dares
contemplate.
1.-THE situation that I have spread
out here is far beyond the scope OF
individual charity Only by the action
of governments, our own and the 9TH
ers whose resources enable them to
cooperate, can aid be given in suffi-
cient volume I am also confident
that our action would be followed by
| the governments of Great Britain, Of
Holland, OF the Scandinavian coun-
tries, of Spain and Japan, and that
France and Belgium and Italy. not
withstanding all OF their losses, would
1 ~