Evening star., 1920-02-08
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
UNCLE SAM is through paying
Europe's bills and through
furnishing spending money
for the allies and others.
The nations Of Europe must buckle
Down to work. earning their own
living, impose taxes until they hurt. ease
up on the heavy cost of military ma
chinery. get down to a business basis
where they will at least pay the interest
on their bills and gradually pay off the
debts.
That's how Congress feels about the
present financial situation. and espe-
cially the ways and means commit
Tee, on whose recommendations re-
Earding such matters of national fis-
cal relations Congress acts.
Tide Over Until Harvest.
The nfty-million-dollar loan just
recommended by the ways and means
committee-where Herbert Hoover
and Secretaries Baker and Glass had
urged $150,000. .000-is the last loan
Congress proposes to make-and that
from pure humanitarian reasons to
tide over starving peoples until they
can harvest their next crop.
Uncle Sam assumes this determined
attitude for two reasons:
First-The nations can never rise
from the ashes OF war through out
side charity. They cannot become
great nations II subsidized. The tru-
est brotherliness is in helping them
to help themselves. That's exactly
what Uncle Sam has done-to the
limit.
Second-The financial condition OF
this country requires the utmost eau
tion. 1t would be very easy to pre-
cipitate a financial panic. That Is not
roinr to be allowed to happen, be-
cause the leaders in Congress are
going to play SAFE" and part of that
il in refusing any further govern
rcent loans or credits to European
nations.
Congress concurs in the advice OF
Secretary Glass to the Chamber OF
Commerce of the United States that
this country as q nation should not
be a party to an international CONFER
ence on the financial situation OF the
world due to the war.
These nations are looking forward
10 such q conference as an opportunity
to show how much more money tney
need from the United States. and the
leaders in formulating the financial
policy In Congress are determined to
discourage promptly and in a salutary
way any such incipient hopes. -aesl
omit Holding Bag for Earope.
Uncle Sam isn't going to hold the
bag for Europe any longer.
House Leader Mondeil expresses
this view That it is the policy OF
the ways and means committee Is
vouched for by Chairman Fordney ana
Representative William R. Green OF
Iowa, the ranking republican, and. In
fact. all members of the committee
They are opposed as a unit to any
further government loans. They feel
that individual. private business en-
terprise will continue to finance
foreign trade and to extend credits
as far as is safe.
No member of the ways and means
committee in councils regarding the
financial situation has ever expressed
himself otherwise than against any
further leans. and the leaders say that
this is the strong sentiment Of the
House as they have sounded it out.
Representative Green has repeatedly
commented on the floor and in state
ments that the people of Europe must
get down to business, produce more,
and levy sufficient taxes to meet cur
rent expensss-which is something
that none of them is now doing.
Undoubtedly, for this purpose. Repre-
sentative Green says. they must re-
duce their expenditures. One way to
do this would be to make a radical
cut in military expenditures. Instead
of that they are issuing more nat
money. and as long as they continue
to do that the exchange situation will
become worse instead of better.
There is strong feeling in Con-
gress that it ought not to be asked
on one day to extend the time of
payments on loans that the United
States has already made, and then
when the appropriations for the Army
and Navy are under discussion pe
asked to increase the amounts for
their support because certain coun-
tries in Europe are expending large
sums for increasing their military
strength.
IF we can save the starving peoples
until their next harvest. that's all we
ought to do." the Legislative leaders
say, land by that time the farm land
of Europe ought to be restored to
normal production"
Unitea States Has Been Generous.
Uncle Sam has been unprecedentedly
generous in trying to help the Eu-
ropean nations. According to the
testimony of Secretary Glass, since
the armistice the Treasury has made
direct cash advances of $3.50, ,s91. .000
to the allied governments. and in ad-
dition has made available $736, ,4S1 .00G
to those governments, and still fur
ther has made available currencies
in covering United States expenditures
in Europe. Besides. the United Statez
has sold on credit approximately