Evening star., 1920-04-05

cies. The German Red Cross is
| repatriating the rest of the
100000 prisoners taken from the
| central powers.
son can neither commit the natior
to action nor to any policy which
must require the sanction of Con
gress.
G. o. p. Success Forecast.
Still the British and some French
men believe that with the change O.
administration. with the coming OF {
republican President, which has beer
| forecast in Europe, there will be
Ychange in American policy and thu
new administration will advocate
| American participation in Europear
affairs. In word. the assumption
is accepted across the Atlantic thai
1t is not so much hostility to Euro
| pean activities as opposition to the
President. not so much question Of
principle as a question of partisan
| course in recent months.
! Reading the British press, it is
| clear that there is a general recog-
| milton that the President cannot com.
Grey's letter to the London Times
was in reality an attempt to inform
his countrymen on American politi-
cal conditions and to prepare the
way for the transfer of British in
terest from the President to the re-
publican leaders. 1t was a frank
statement that the next move in the
International game must be an ad-
justment between British policy and
the policy of the republican majority
| in the Senate. which had expressed
it's will in the reservations to the
treaty.
What the British now expect is
that there will be a change in party
control at the next election, but their
ACTON now is predicated on the as
sumption that once the change comes
and the President disappears, it will
be possible to, establish some sort of
Anglo American solidarity through
negotiations with the new govern
| ment. Exactly as the British enlist
ed the President in their general pol
icy by accepting his fourteen points.
| they are now preparing to enlist a
republican successor by subscribing
to the Senate's reservations.
British Foreign Policy.
British foreign policy is now found
ed upon the cardinal doctrine that
for the future there must be active
and close Anglo-American co-opera
tlon. To insure this cooperation the
British are prepared to make ccnces-
sions, and the least of these conces-
sions would be the acceptance of the
Senate's reservations. What the Brit
ish desire is the presence of Ameri-
can representatives in a world con-
gress. without regard to the powers
OF these American representatives
whose influence will be hardly less
decisive. since they will speak for
america. even If they cannot commit
America actually to any specific
British policy would have preferred
to see the adoption of the covenant
of the league Of nations as President
wilson approved it. because this
would nave made the United States a
full partner in the international firm
which was established to regulate
! world affairs. because America would
have been technically and unreserv-
| edly committed to participation in
this administration of the business OF
the world. But since this is impos-
sib1e. the British are no less anxious
to get the United States in on any
terms. believing that in practice the
results will be much the same and
American presence in the league OF
nations will tend more and more to
involve the United States in extra
American Questions.
Hence the British will not sanction
any course which will lead to an open
break with the United States. French,
Italian or Polish interests will not be
accepted by the British as supplying
any warrant for disregarding Ameri-
can opinion as expressed by the Pres
ident. since such a break might re-
silt in an ultimate elimination of the
United States from world affairs.
Moreover, the British are similarly
prepared TO make considerable con-
cessions on their own part to this end.
Accepting the action of the Senate in
the matter of Ireland, which was of
enormous injury to British interests
I at the moment. accepting it with only
minimum of press protest, is the
best demonstration of this purpose.
Americas Presence Wanted.
British policy is expressed in the
view that ANY association with the
United States is better than total
disappearance of America from Euro
pean affairs. At ParE American rep
took the British view of the larger
questions, which were of most con-
cern for the British. In consequence
the British feel that in any league of
nations council a similar situation
would develon and the British would
at all times be certain of. the great
moral assistance which came from
America. even if there We're no cor
responding material support
AS far as the President is con-
cerned. British policy no longer ac-
cepts him as representing the will of
the country. On the contrary. it re-
CARDS him as certain to disappear in
brief time. and is busily engaged in
preparing the way for establishing
close relations with his successor. by
accepting in advance those treaty
reservations which have been the ex-
preston .of the republican views in
the Senate. But an open break with
the President is to be avoided. lest
it might lead to n real separation of
the United States from European af-
fairs.
Thus, whenever the President is
sues rescript which does violence to
British policy, the British accept his
statements with becoming courtesy,
consent to a modification. or at least
a postponement of their own decisions
and await the time. which is to come,
when they can resume the course
fully disclosed at Paris of establish
ing an n<Anglo-American partnership
through the medium of the league of
nations. The only difference is that,
whereas at Paris. Britain accepted
Mr.. Wilson's. terms. the new conces-
sions will be made to the republican
leadership.
Turkish Episode.
The Turkish episode discloses this
same policy. Awkward, irritating,
even arrogant as the American atti-
tude. manifestly seems to the British,
since it undertakes to prescribe
me ;hods without displaying any read
in, IS to underwrite any portion of
tn ! costs or run any of the inevitable
ri h<s, it will be passed over as a nee
e.,sary discomfort incident to the ac-
complishment of the larger purpose,
which is Anglo American partnership.
: In word. British policy-and Brit
ish policy still dominates allied coun-
ellis, despite French and Italian dis
contents-remainS now, as at Paris.
firmly established on the idea that