New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-04
81 william Coode Says
Fate of Millions Rests
on Financial Help That
Can Be Given by U. S.
Loans Given to Other Ma.
tons Merely Palliatives
in Final Results, He Says

LONDON. Dec. 1s.--sir William
casds. British Director of Relief, who
,eccntly returned from a tour Of the
vsr.impoverished countries Of Europe,
declares that unless the Allied and As
ISOLATED governments provide credits
for food and raw materials Central
Europe is likely to become "a desolate
waste Of seeding thistles." England, he
declares, cannot do anything likely to
Ia effectual unless the United States
extends credits in proportion to her
means. The crisis. in Central Europe,
Sir william declares, is of such dimen-
s;ons and complexity as to defy iso-
lated or individual effort.
Speaking before the American
Luncheon Club recently he said: "You
cannot heal the wounds of Europe by
driblets Of government relief or dabs
Of humanity, The day for palliatives
is past. Emergencies such as that in
Austria will not wait for the emergencc
OF the league Of nations. Little nations
generated by the self-determination In
cubator of the peace conference are
likely to disappear even before they
are old enough to sow their wild oats.
Must Have Credits
"A comprehensive and far-rsachins
financial arrangement must be quickly
arrived at by the Allied and associated
governments unless half Of Central
Europe is to be desolate waste Of
seeding thistles. The key to the eco
nomic arch is organization Of credits
for food and raw materials and the ex-
port Of manufactures on regular and
ascending scale from the countries re-
ceiying such credit.
"With the present value Of the pound
sterling and with the present position
of French and Italian exchange it is
evident that any such comprehensive
credit scheme will be futile unless the
United States takes generous part.
Great Britain has already borrowed,
in partnership with France and Italy'
siS.00o,000 from the United States to
feed Austria. | dare say we could bor-
row more and further discount our own
exchange, but that would be only pal
llative, which in the long run would
DO neither Austria, ourselves nor the
word any good.
ut is not a case of saying to the
United States we will not do anything
more If you will not
THE fact of the matter is that we
csnnot do anything which is in the
least likely to be effectual unless the
United States is also prepared to ex-
.eno nsr !, credits II proportion to her
means. 1T IS no good being 'mea1y
n2uthsd' about admitting that we, who
before the war were rich, are now poor
Personality, am inclined to think
That the nations participating in some
SUCH comprehensive scheme of credits
vii In the long run suffer no material
disadvantage.
World Is Threatened
'Of one thing am quite certain
and that is if Centrai Europe and the
rev nations are allowed to stew il
their own juice, the whole world will
suner. In any case, whatever remedy
may be adopted, it will involve on botf
continents demand for common sacri
tee and for common stimulation o.
production. To use Mr.. Hoover's blum
expression: Europe must work o.
starve.'
!! think am authorized to say tina
II the United States can see their wa,
70 take part in some such comprehens
I'VE provision of credits as | have sug
gestd the British government and the
british people will be prepared, and
think rightly prepared, to strain still
10 impoverished by war.
II that opportunity is not taken
an inclined to fear that tho great re.
iet work done by Mr.. Hoover, of which
america is justly proud, will 90 dowr
20 posterlty an task only half done
realize that there are many diff
caltles in the way such, for instance
Is the unison of unofficial American
hnancial effort with operations thai
nsy be under the control of Europear
xevesnments, but I have unwaverins
istn that these are not insuperable.
describing the conditions prevailing
u central Europe as he observed then
. MS recent journey, Sir William con
ahuea: Locomotives from one country
oafed not bulge across the frontier Of
snothef. Coal trains With their car
soes are liable to be seizsd the min.
~ tney come within the grasp Of {
aelknporing army. The only real safe.
sssto Tor supply train going from
sas country through another Is thu
s.sssnce OF lone British Tommie who
m1sned on the caboose and knowing
s ~ .lanSuage but his own, placid1y es
~s 80 sne lew exchanges Of food ant
~. ,materials which have 50 far en-
49, .so several OF the countries to keey
o0ay and soul together.
Are Afraid Of Old Foes
The new Allied states exhibit 4.
ta.,sous independence in dealing will
MI I FORMER cr<rnies with whom, re-
smpsr they still are technically a
s;,s, tnis constitutes one of the prin
tx ~ .. oestaclss TO the restoration O.
"a squlliprIum OF Central Europe.
,., xcu had the whole British Cabi
H. S.iso INTO oiae superman, he woulG
pros ~efiess to achieve appreciabls
s.ss 1891 30 long ~ by the delay 0.
tssse state Of war prevails in Cen
Europe"
.r naseI revjewing the enmities which
W VIM. " the Balkans and Turkey. Sil
,.s s,ltm said that industrial and com
nss sS.M activity virtually had beer
1890 1890 by political difficulties, b,
s. sased production, demoralizatioi
IA s'ivsy traffic, shortage Of Goa
- and finance.
~. szseho Slavskia, Poland. Uunear,
rs. Austria, he declared. ara eli corn
f.'assc With large shortages Of food
fss.assssrly all Central European coun
49, ne production Of cereals had bee
essssu At least one-third by lack O,
FERTILIZERS and fodder.
xs,sf kFeater part Of the $500 900, OOl
ji,ss ss g 1oodstuRs which had been de
sisrss. in Europespu relief since tn,
q the armistic4 WAS supplies
~ ~ United States, Sir Willisna said
s. $. 1T part" he added, "wAs limite'
~. ~ IL A'moss empty purse. Neverthe
q IA :, p tx government was Abl