The Holly chieftain., 1920-05-20
Accordingly, / would ask /:


ceed S5OO,OOO,OO0 for the use of Cen
tral and Eastern Europe
q That Congress call upon the
President to appoint non-political
commission of three Americans, dis
tinguished for their character and ex-
ecutive ability, and commanding the
respect of the American people. Such
a commission should include men of
the type of General Pershing, Mr..
Hoover, or ex-Secretary Lane. would
invest that commission with complete
power.
3. would have the commission in
structed to proceed at once, accompan-
led by proper personnel, TO survey con-
ditiOns in Central and Eastern Europe,
and then act for the restoration OF
those countries under such conditions
and upon such terms as the commits
sion itself may decide to be practica-
BILE and effective Among the condi-
tions should be provided that there
should be no local interference with
the free and untrammeled exercise by
the commission of its own prerogative
of allocating materials. Governmental
politics should be eliminated, unreasOn-
able and prejudicial barriers between
Tic NdIlOuS SOultAiCS SAAouio pS ~
moved and such substantial guarantees
as may be available should be exacted
in order that the conditions imposed
should be fulfilled.
4. AS to financial terms, should
make them liberal. l would charge no
interest for the first three years, for
the next three years, per cent, with
provision that such interest might be
funded if the economic conditions OF
the country were not approaching nor
NAL, or If it's exchange conditions were
SO adverse as to make payment unduly
burdensome / should make the matur
ity of the obligation fifteen years from
its date and l should have no doubt as
to its final payment.
s. Immediately the plan was
adopted l would have our government
invite other governments in a position
to assist to participate in the under
taking.
g. TO set forth completely my opin
ion I should add that in the final in.
structions the American people
through their government should say
to the commission: I'VE want you to
go and do this job in such manner
as after study you think it should be
done. This is no ordinary undertake
ing. The American people trust you
to see that it is done right" l would
also say to the commission: Use sc
much of this money as is needed Per
sonal1y, l am confident that with the
assistance and cooperation which
would come from other parts Of the
world, the sum of S5OOO00,OOO from the
United States would be more than
enough to start these countries on theii
way to self support and the restora
tion of normal conditions.
The whole plan of course involves
many practical considerations, the
most serious of which is that of OBJ
tanning the money, whether by issuing
additional Liberty bOnds,. an increase
in the floating debt or by taxation. But
l think we could properly say to the
Treasury Department:
1--WE know how serious your financial
problems are; we know the difficulties
which are Immediately confronting
you; we know the Importance of de
flatiOn, and we know that the govern,
ment must ecOnOmiZe and that indiyid.
uals must ecOnomize, but we also know
that the American government ad.
vanced S1O,000,o00,OOO to its allies to
attain victory and peace. Certainly ii
is worth making the additional advance
in order to realize the peace for which
we have already struggled for nothing
is more certain than that until normal
conditions are restored 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 50
acute that the situation does not admit
Of delay except with the possibility OF
consequences one hardly dares contem
plate.
The situation that I have spread out
here is far beyond the scope of individ.
ual charity. Only by the action OF
governments, our own and the others
whose resources enable them to coop.
crate, can aid be given in sufficient
volume. am also confident that our
action would be followed by the gov.
ernments Of Great Britain, of Holland
of the Scandinavian countries, of Spain
and Japan, and that France and Bel
gium and Italy, Notwithstanding all oil
their losses, would help to the best OF
their ability.