The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-04

De ueSplSeu forever as greedy anu
pharisaical nation Is fate that we
must not incur.
"The French Government has many
serious problems to solve. but the
French peasant Is working and the
French artisan, while still sadly in
need of raw materials, has not lost
his habit of industry and thrift. The
most encouraging fact about France
today 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
upon 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.
ut Is not for me. perhaps, to give
in detail formula for solution of the
worlds Ills, but as have been asked
many times, What would you dor, 1
am glad to give my own answer.
Accordingly, / would ask:
81. That Congress Immediately pass
bill appropriating sum not to ex-
coed S5OO000,00O for the use of Cen
trail and Eastern Europe.
40 That Congress call upon the
President to appoint a nonpolitical
commission of three Americans, dis
tinguished for their character and ex-
ecutive ability and commanding the re-
spect 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.
"3. l would have the commission in
structed to proceed at once, accompa-
MED by. proper personnel, to survey
conditions in Central and Eastern Eu-
rope, and then act for the restoration
of those countries under such condi-
tons and upon such terms as the COM
mission itself may decide to he practi-
cable and effective Among the condi-
tons should be provided that there
should be no local interference with
the free and untrammeled exercise by
the commission Of its own prerogatlve
of allOcating materials. Governmental
politics should be eliminated, unrea-
Sonabe and prejudicial barriers be-
tween the various countries should be
removed, and such substantial guaran-
tees as may be available should be
exacted in order that the conditions
imposed should be fulfilled.
"a. As to financial terms / should
make them liberal. | 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 IL the ecoonmic con-
ditions of the country were not ap-
preaching normal, or If its exchange
conditions were so adverse as to make
payment unduly burdensome I should
make the maturity Of the obligation
fifteen years from its date, and l
should have no doubt as to its final
payment.
"5 Immediately the plan was adopt
ed ] would have our government in
wife other governments In a position
to assist, to participate in the under
taking.
IS. To set forth completely my opfn-
ion, should add that in the final in
structiOns the American people,
through their government, should say
| to the commission:
ave want you to go and do this
| job in such manner as, after study,
you think it should be done. This Is
no ordinary undertaking. The Ameri-
can people trust you to see that 1t is
done right
Il would also say to the commits
sion:
"'Use so much of this money as is
needed Personally I am confident
| that with the assistance and co-opera-
| ton which would come from other
parts Of the world, the sum Of $780,
| 000, 600 from the United States would
be more than enough to start these
countries on their way TO self-supp0rt
and the restoration Of normal condi-
| tons
1.-THE whole plan, Of course, in
wolves many practical considerations,
the most serious of which is that Of
obtaining the money. whether by issu-
| ing additional Liberty bonds, an in
crease in the floating debt, or by taxa
ton. But l think we could properly
say to the Treasury Department:
1--WE know how serious your finan-
cial problems are we know the diff
culties which are Immediately con-
fronting you; we know the Importance
| of dehation, and we know that the
| government must economic and that
individuals must economic; but we
also know that the American Govern
ment advanced $4,000, 100000 to its
Allies to attain victory and peace.
Certainly 1t Is worth making the addi-
tienat advance in order to realize the
peace for which we have already strug-
gled, for nothing Is more certain than
that until normal conditions are re-
stored in Europe, there can be no
peace
above all things l would say that
whatever action is taken should be
taken Immediately. The crisis is SO