The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-05-21

sailed for the other side just to meas
ure the danger and take precauuon
against such an invasion.
This Is one menace at our threshold.
The other. more threatening, more ter
rible, is the menace of the worlds iii
will. We can afford to die, but to be
despised forever as greedy and phar-
isaical 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 Sc
robustness 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.
1t is not for me perhaps to give In
detail formula for solution Of the
worlds ills, but as l have been asked
many times, what would you do?" !
am glad to give my own answer.
Accordingly, would ask:
/. That Congress Immediately pass
a bill arprGpriating a sum not to .ex-
coed S50O.000.000 for the use Of Cen
trail and Eastern Europe.
2. That Congress call upon the Pres
ident to appoint a nonpOlitical COM
mission of three Americans, distin-
guished for their character and exec
utive ability and commanding the re-
spect 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, 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 be practi-
cable and effective. Among the con.
ditiOns should be provided that there
should be no local interference with
the free and untrammeled exercise by
the commission of its own prerogatiye
OF allocatng materials Governmental
politics should be eliminated; unrea-
sonable and pre1udicfal. barriers he,
tween the various countries should be
removed. and such substantial gliaran
tees as may be available should he ey
acted in order that the conditions i'm
posed should be fulfilled.
4. AS to financial terms, l should
make them liberal I would charge no
interest for the first three years; for
the next three years, per cent, with
provision that such interest might he
funded II the economic conditions of
the country were not approaching nor
NAL. or if its exchange conditions were
so adverse as to make payment I'M
duly burdensome, should make the
maturity of the obligation Is years
from its date, and I should have no
doubt as to it's final payment.
D. Immediately the plan was adopt-
ed l would have our government in
vite other governments in position
to assist, to participate in the under.
taking.
3. 10 set forth completely my opin.
lon, | should add that in the final in.
structions the American people.
through their government, should saw
to the commission:
I'VE want you to 60 and do this iob
IN such manner as, after study, Won
think 1t should be done. This is no
ordinary undertaking. The American
people trust you to see that It is done
right"
would also say to the commission
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 $500
ooO000 from the United States would
De more than enough to start these |
countries on their way to self support
and the restoration of normal cond,,
lions.
The whole plan, of course, involves |
many practical considerations tho
most serious of which is that Of nh.
tainlng the money, whether by issuinp |
additional Liberty bonds, an increase
IN the floating debt or by taxation
but think we could properly say to
the treasury department:
I'VE know how serious your finan
eial problems are; we know the diff.
sultles which are Immediately con.
fronting you; we know the importance
'r deflation, and we know that the gov.
eminent must economic and that in.
llViduals must economic, but we also
Know that the American government
advanced s10,0OO,OO0,OOO to its allies