Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-19
LITTLE DOING
TO SETTLE OUR
MAIN BUSINESS
u. S. Government No,
Functioning Properly
Under Pressure.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Areus.)

starvation and suffering is growing,
plenty Of talk-but only talk
about a compromise on the peace
treaty, and a rather loose conduct
OF foreign affairs owing to the un-
certainty Of Americas position in
the council of nations describes in
a general sense the state of affairs
in the national capital today.
Many interests are crowding pell-
nell upon one another for atten-
tion in both the executive and legis-
lative branches Of the government,
but never did the wheels OF prog
.ress seem to be so sluggish, never
so much without direction or aim.
The illness Of the president is hap
PLY passing, but he is not yet in
shape to coordinate the policies of
his administration. And as a con-
sequence one finds the department
of state returning rather non-com-
initial answers on many questions
on which America should have her
say without eQuivocation. Perhaps
the far eastern situation is a case
in point.
Let Japs Have Full Hand.
The attacks in congress that have
been made on the presence of Amer
ican troops in Siberia have tended
to weaken the enthusiasm of the
government here in maintaining
any status quo and the tendency
has been to let the Japanese have
free hand. Their argument is
that they must stop the flow of
bolshevism toward their own
shores. But this hardly pleases the
! persons, especially those in con-
gress, who dislike to see America
giving a free hand to Japan any
where.
Yet the department of state seems
to be powerless to express Amer
ican policy in the far east except
in the most cautious sense for it is
an era Of sensitiveness in which
the department seems unwilling to
give congress something on which
to poupce in an effort to discredit
the world power policies of the ad-
ministration, which have been used
by the opponents Of the League of
Nations in their campaign against
the treaty.
Indeed, until the treaty is ratified
the value of American foreign polf-
cy is virtually nil. Europe is ask
ing questions and getting few an
swers. Fiscal policy is in a certain
sense being neglected, too, for the
recent effort of Europe to get some
financial help from the United
States was killed by the influences
desirous Of exposing alleged part
nership between the league and in
ternational financiers. While there
is naturally tendency here to dis
courage the notion which has ex-
! listed in some quarters in Europe
that France and England and Italy
have but to ask for funds and lin
itless funds will be forthcoming and
while it is desired here to stimu-
| late an awakening among European
peoples to the necessity of indus
trial production, the effect has been
to make our officials super-cautious
and unreceptive even to the general
idea of pledging financial support
Later on when the treaty is ratified
and there doesn't prevail on every
side a feeling that one must lean
over backwards in satisfying for
the moment the anti-European feel
ing that has been bred in connec-
tion with the treaty fight, it is quite
probable that the whole question
will be discussed on its merits
anew. One thing is certain-loans
by our government to the allies will
not be made but better arrange
ments for the stimulation of foreign
trade, commerce and exchange are
inevitable as soon as the atmo-
sphere has cleared and there is less
partisanship and more breadth iI
the point of view of all concerned
Favor Compromise.
All the polls that have been takeI
on the question of compromise or
the peace treaty seem to favor {
compromise. The Portland (Ore
!gon) Journal and the Rochester
! New York; Times-Union have re
Gently conducted canvasses by cou
pom which have attracted the at
tention Of senator's. These vote
show an overwhelming desire fo
ratification with reasonable inter
pretations. The poll of the college
has had an impressive effect ol
Capitol hill. The wheels Of com
promise move slowly. But at pres
ent writing it looks as if the who'll
, thing may be disposed of in an
9TH ON month of civ maakS