New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-18

best to pull all Europe out of the slough +,
Of despond.
"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 to-day
is that her people are alive to the seri
BUSINESS of Frances problem, and. they
are going forward bravely to solve that
problem.
"Ttaly, despite her great shortage of
raw material, is looking forward and
not backward. Italy can be relied
upon to do lRr part
"England is meeting the problems of
reconstruction just rs those who knew
her past should have expected her to
meet them. With n head erect, a quiet
courage and sturdy common sense
she is doing her own days work and
at the same time rendering all the as
sstancc that her resources permit to
the countries on the Continent.
Neither Belgium nor France nor
Italy nor England arc asking charity
/ Of the United States. The people Of
/ these countries are as proud as we are.
| They are as eager TO work out their
own destiny as we are to work out
ours. In the face Of an almost over
wheming catastrophe they seek only
the opportunity to regain their OWL
economic strength.
Apathy Here Cannot Last
IT have supreme confidence in the
ultimate good judgment Of the Ameri-
can people on any problem fairly sub
ntted to them. No man knows sbotter
than | the nobility and generosity Of
their response when they are aroused
to some tragic need ! believe that
the apathy and Indifference which pre-
vail to-day are due alone to the fac,
that the American people have not
grasped the dreadful facts.
when once the true bearings Of the
situation have bitten into their con-
seriousness and they realize that this
is the only country possessed of many
OF the supplies of food and medicine.
clothing and transport that these suf-
ferlng nations must have, I believe
they will arise and act.
ut is not for me, perhaps, to give in
detail q formula for solut' on of the
worlds ills, but as | have been asked
many times, What would you do? | am
glad to give my own answer.
AT the outset let me state that CON
structVe action iii this matter may be
regarded as altruistic b. those who are
50 minded; it may be regarded as or
binary decency by those who so desire
CT it may be regarded withal as good
common sense business, in the inter-
ests of commerce and trade and of the
American people. According, would
ask:
That Congress Immediately pass
bill appropriating g sum not to exceed
S5Oo,0O0,000 for the use of Central and
Eastern Europe
"That Congress call upon the Presi-
mission Of three Americans, distin-
gui8hcd for their character and execu-
tive ability and commanding the re-
spect Of the American people. Such
commission should include men of the
type Of General Pershing, MIR Hoover
or eX-Secretary Lane. | would invest
that commission with complete power.
Plan to Wipe Out Suffering
II would have the commission in
structed to proceed at once, accom-
panied by proper personnel, to survey
conditions in Central and Eastern Fu-
rope, and then to act for the restora-
tlon of those countries, under such
conditions and upon such terms as the
commission itself may decide, to be
practicable and effective. Among the
conditions should be provided that
there should be no local interference
with the free and untrammeled eXer-
chise by the commission of its own
p,erogative of allocating> materials
Governmental politics should be elm
mated; unreasonable and preiudicial
barriers between the various countries
should be removed; and such substan-
tial guarantees as may be available
should be eXacted, in order that the
conditions imposed should be fulfilled.
"As to financial terms, | should
make them liberal. would charge
no interest for the first three years
for the next three years, per cent,
with provision that such interest might
be funded if the economic conditions
of the country were not approaching