Evening star., 1920-07-04
BY NEWBOLD MOVES.

by NEWbOLD NOfES.
TIME interest of Jim Jane. average Amer
lean man and has. during the past
week necessarily been centered in the dem
ocratic national convention. Politics have
overshadowed every other consideration ana pon-
ties are treated In this column Yet DESPITE
the obvious and. indeed, happy truth that popular
interest today is engrossed In the all-impor.ah'
business of domestic political. debate. the fact should
not be lost sight of that other vital problems anu
significant developments continue TO present them-
selves for the earnest attention OF the American
public.
indeed the very fact that the long fued between
the President and the Senate is eliminating IN the
second of the two great conventions favors anu
suggests a deliberate survey of conditions IN hu-
rope today. those conditions have been ex-
tensive,y affected as a result of that fued The
treaty in point Of fact been clearly denneo as
the major Issue of the approaching poiiucal cam am
heoomea 90 an essential duty Of the American
men and women upon whom devolves the ultimate
States during the next four years
+ **
Reports during the week from France indicate
the bewilderment the French populace over dis
patches reiterating the assertion that the American
people weary of international politics and nave
lost interest the European struggle for secure
existence. Their bewilderment arises from thelr
inability understand whether it is that America
merely declines o take interest in the affairs
of Europe. holds the belief that she actually
has interest there. They can conceive OIL eie
possibility the first alternative although IN 'he
light Of the profession friendship extended not
so many months the conception is difnGue pul
the later alternative they regard as incredible I'M
possible. ..a,ood bv
sentimentaty and the ancient debt OF the enlex 1l
States France is unmentioned 1t IS tne @ lasN
99 saunds That America aready
commercial and financial power of the World a ana
should fail to that ner a6
terests involved in maintaining the denca.e 5 ao
international
shipping is to them incredible That after the the
positive I economic law that prices of the principal
eend n any one nation upon General cona
tions them impossible And that after ter
world hat has fhsJ Just weSS sIGsfs n
the American ] people can auv future struggle of
considerable magnitude the European M confs
sbiiity of glorious isolation in the world as as or i
sner opnon be rbe Built
for Jim and Jane to answer whether me me
answer which they shall make depends in the final
Of the fr
we are to the respect and friendship or Il. the
Upon depends surely ultimate justice in the
destnes of the world @ shall % be- the s ze
this nation in those years to come when the ma
children chill
with the treaty of Versailles scheduled to occupy
the position of the main issue in the approaching
relating to the European developments as affecting
that document assume additional Importance These
relate principally to the prediction as TO "nat Is
to transpire the approaching Spa conference. to
the attitude in Berlin to the allied notes con-
cerning the strength of Germany's military and
police forces, and to the work of the advisory
committee of iurists meeting the Hague with
view to establishing the court of justice called for
under the covenant of the league OF nations
There every indication that the German dele
gates will go to Spa. conference prepared to
make a definite proposal to the sum for repara-
ton indemnity they consider Germany will be able
to pay 1t is stated that they will assume that the
conference will agree to allow discussion
as to the basis of Germanys ability to pay
Assuming that they are to be heard the de-
cision to be made by the allied statesmen present
will be whether they shall accept the German pro-
nosal or insist upon higher with the assur-
ance that in the event the German delegates
viii refuse to accept and retire leaving to the repa
ration commission the task of collecting the money
through the powers granted by the Versailles treaty
The allied problem is thus far from simple one
For there seems to be no doubt but that Germany
Is going to propose a infinitely less than that
which She originally undertook to pay upon sign
ing the treaty Yet, the other hand. the expert
ance of recent months has demonstrated with ruth
less clarity impotence of the allies to collect