, 1920-05-27

One-half of the world may not eat
while the other half starvcs. How
long do you believe the plague of ty-
plus that is taking a hideous death
toll in Esthonia and Poland and the
Ukraine and eating long the fringes
Of Germany and Czecho- Slokavia will
cOnfine itself To these remote lands?
Only last Saturday our health com
missioner of New York, DIR. Copeland,
sailed for the other side just to meas
ure the danger and take ~precaution
against such an invasion.
This is one at our threshold.
The other more threatening, more ter
rible, is the menace of the worlds ill
will We can afford to die, but to be
despised forever as II greedy and phar-
isaical nation is Il fate that we must
lot incur.
The French government las 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 seri-
business 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 us those who knew
her past should have expected her to
meet them.
1t is not for me, perhaps, to give in
detail IL formula for solution of the
worlds ills, but rs | have been asked
many times, what would you dog" l
am glad 10 give my own answer.
Accordingly, l would ask:
l.. That Congress Immediately pass
a bill a%ppropriating a sum not to eX-
coed 5000, 100000 for the use of Cen
trail and Eastern Europe.
.. That Congress call upon the
President to appoint a non-political
commission of three Americans, dis
tinguished for their character and ex-
~ecutiye ability, and commanding the
respect of the American people. Such
II commission should include men of
the type of Genera Pershing, Mr..
Hoover, or eX-Secretary Lane. L would
invest that commission with complete
power.
3. L would have the commission in
Structed to proceed at once, accolnpan-
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-
| ions should be provided that there
should be no local interference with
the free and untrammeled exercise by
the commission of its own pr~erogative
of allocating materials. Governmental
politics should be eliminated, unreason-
able and prejudicial barriers between
the various countries should be re-
moved and such substantial guarantees
as may be available should be eNncted
i'm order that the conditions imposed
should be fulfilled.
4. AS TO financial terms, | should
make them liberal. l would charge no
intersection the first three years, for
the next three years, u per cent, with
provision that, such interest might be
funded if the economic conditions OF
the country were not approaching nor
/ maj, VI IL us tAtilbhSt 'ohhiAi'iis W.
so adverse as to make payment unduly
~burdensome. / should make the matur-
ity of the obligation fifteen years from
its date and | should have no oub as
to its final payment.
=. Immediately the plan was
adopted | would have our government
invite other governments in II position
to assist to participate in the under
taking.
Is. To set forth completely my opin-
ion I'should add that in the final in
stFuctions the. American people
through their government should say
TO the commission W. want you TO
90 and do this job in such u manner
as after study 20 think it should be
done. This is no ordinary undertake
ing. The American people trust you
to see that it is dom right" | would
also say to the commission use so
much of this money as is needed" Per
s~onally, l am confident that with the
assistance and cooperation which
would come from other parts of the
world, the sum of $500, 100000 from the
United States. would be- more, than
enough to start these countries on their
way to self support and the restora'
tiop 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
1 think we could properly say to the
Treasury. Department:
"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 economic and that individ-
uals must ~ecOnomlze, but we also know
that the American government adj
anced $4,000, 1000 to its allies to
attain victory and peace. Certainly II
is worth making the additional advance