Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-06-15
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opinion conditions in Europe.
He has an extremely keen, clear mind. He is
man of the largest affairs, accustomed by many
wears of business experience TO grasp the essen
fial details of complex situations. And on top Of
his unusual personal qualifications a trustwOr-
thy observer and reporter, he has just, through
HIS position as head of international organiza-
ion, had put in his possession the latest and
peteSt mass of information Obanable anywhere
He is chairman of the board Of governors and
therefore eX-OfclO head of the League of Red
Cross societies which comprises all the Red Cross
societies in the world except those of the central
powers, and has just returned from the first con-
ference of this organization held in Geneva
At this conference the European situation
the main object of consideration. and to give
basis for discussion and actiGa experts were
brought in from the field all Europe and
their first-hand reports were received and exam
ined The result the composite picture OF
postwar Europe in the winter and spring of 1920
which Mr. Dawson holds i'm his mind.
by fixed rule. Mr.. Dawson does not give inter
views to individual representatives of the press,
nor write signed statements for Individual papers.
He has not broken his rule In this instance. This
is not interview But when his unique posi-
fion source of Information pressed on
his attention, he granted the Sunday World &C
cess to his data and what follows may be taken as
substantially accurate and complete statement
of the facts as he sees them. It's significance can
therefore hardly be overemphasZed
The catastrophe" wrote Mr. Balfour, chair
man of the Council of the League of Nations to
the Red Cross conference at Geneva, lis of I'M
axampled magnitude" and in the same communal
cation referred to "the horrors with which
faced" and stated they had reached appalling
proportions"
These very strong expressions coming
from Il parsonage of such standing They Indicate
a recognition of disaster.
Is there any hone q setting matters ripht2 Can
Europe come back?" Or is she bankrupt? The
present summary of known facts will he an at
tempt to indicate answer to that question.
At the outset it is necessary to clarity the SIT
uatOn by making certain distinctions Europe
stretches over 3SO0,OO0 square miles, It's people
number 460OO0,00O more than a quarter Of the
globes estimated population. Furthermore, at
present Europe as unit is nOneXisent. IL II ever
existed. 1t has been split by the w&r into various
groupings. in which conditions widely differ.
The neutralS unravaged Spain. Switzerland.
Denmark, Norway and Sweden. with over 10000
900 population. constitute one group. Defeated
Germany and Austria form another Russia is a
third. The big Four of the European allies
England, France Italy and Belgium-are another.
And the less stabilized countries of the central
and eastern regions a fifth. Between these
groups conditions vary greatly. and this must be
kept in mind in considering whether Europe is
solvent or bankrupt.
About principal allies In the west there Is
no question. They are strongly going concerns
still, and, despite their Distress are doing
their best to pull their neghborS out of the Slough
of DespOnd. The French peasant Is working and
Cine French artisan. despite sad need of raw
materials. has not lost his habit of industry and
thrift. The encouraging fact about France today
Is that her people fully alive TO the serious
ness of her problem and going forward brave
Sy to solve 1t.
Italy. too. despite her great shortage of raw
material. is looking forward, not backward, led
hy one of the great men produced by the war; Mr..
Nitti He is truly wise statesman and under
his leadership Italy can be relied to do her
part by herself and her neighbors Belgium as
might have been expected. is strongly the mend
and England Is meeting her problems of recon
StructiOn with quiet courage and sturdy common
sense She is doing each days work, and Mt the
same time rendering all assistance her resources
will permit to the countries the continent
Belgium and France and Italy and England
asking charity of the United States Their
peoples proud We are-eager as we are
work out their national deStinies and car
ny on their own businesses. They seek only the op-
portunity to regain their economic strength. And
these countries have population of 125 900 600
Combining them with the 100000 neutralS il
appears that about third of the people of Eu-
rope eould not be referred to bankrupt Some
nf them are in serious difficulties but they have
plenty of hope left well energy. for the
tasks of reconstruction.
This distinction drawn and It being under
stood that Germany, because her problems are 50
peculiar to herself. IS left out of the discussion
II is not too much To say that in all the rest of
Eurupe-exceptng, possibly. Russia about which
reports are NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. has broken
down. For something like 2000O0OOo people,
disease. bereavement and suffering are presen,
In practically every household while food and