Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1920-11-25


the danger and take precaution
against such an invasion.
This is one menace at our TIRES
hold, the other more threatening,
more terrible = the menace of the
worlds i'll Will We can afford to die,
but to be despised forever as a greedy
and Pharisaical nation is fate that
We must not incur
THE French government has many
serious problems to solve, but the
French peasantry is working, and the
French artisan, while still badly in
need OF raw materials, has not lost his
habit Of industry and thrift.
The most encouraging fact about
France today is that her people are
alive to the seriousness of Frances
problem and they are going forward
bravely to solve that problem.
Italy, despite her great shortage OF
raw material, is looking forward and
not backward. Italy can be relied
upon to do her part.
England is meeting the problems or
reconstruction just as those who knew
meet them.
1T is not for me, perhaps, to give
in detail formula for solution Of the
worlds ills, but as l have been asked
many times, What would you do?' I
am glad to give my own answer. Ac-
cordingly, would ask:
Il. That congress Immediately pass
a bill appropriating a sum not to ex-
coed $500,000,000 for the use of GEN.
trail and eastern Europe.
2. That congress call upon the
president to appoint a nonpolitical
commission of three Americans, dis
Inguished for their character and eX-
ecutive ability and commanding the
respect Of the American people. Such
a commission should include men of
the type of Gen. Pershing, Mr. Hoover
or EX-Secretafy Lane. l would invest
that commission with complete power.
%. l would have the commission in
structed to proceed at once, accompa-
MED by proper personnel, to survey
conditions in central and eastern Eu-
rope and then act for the restoration
of those countries under such condi-
lions and upon such terms as the
commission itself may decide to be
practical and effective. Among the
conditions should be provided that
there should be no, local interference
with the free and untrammeled exer.
else by the commission of its own pre-
negative of alloting materials.
Governmental politics should be
eliminated; unreasonable and prejudi-
cial barriers between the various
countries should be removed, and such
substantial guarantees as may be
available should be exacted in order
that the conditions imposed should be
fulfilled
q. AS to financial terms, I should
make them liberal. | would charge no
interest for the first three years; for
the next three years 6 per cent, with
provision that such interest might be
funded if the economy conditions of
the country were not approximating
normal or if it's exchange conditions
were so adverse as to make payment
unduly burdensome. | should make
the maturity of the obligation Is years
from it's date, and l should have no
doubt as to its final payment
'5. Immediately the plan was adopt
ed l would have our government invite
other governments in a position to as
sist to participate in the undertaking.
"6. To set forth completely my
opinion, should add that in the final
instructions the American people.
through their government, should say
to the commission: We want you to
go and do this job in such a manner
as, after study, you think it should
be done This is no ordinary under
taking. 'Fhe American people trust
you to see that it is done right
Il would also say to the commits
sion: Use so much of this money as is
needed Personally I am confident
that with the assistance and co-opera-
ton which wOuld come from other
parts of the world, the sum of $780,
000,0 900 from the United States would
be more than enough to start these
countries on their way to seIf-support
and the restoration Of normal condi-
tons.
1.-THE whole plan, Of course, involves
many practical considerations, the
most serious Of which is that of OBJ
tanning the money, whether by issuing
additional Liberty bonds, an increase
in the floating debt or by taxation.
But l think we could properly say to
the treasury department.: We know
how serious your financial problems
are; we know the difficulties which
are Immediately confronting you; we
know the Importance of deflation, and
we know that the government must
economic and that individuals must
economic, but we also know that the
American government advanced S10,-
600, 100000 to it's allies to attain vic
tory and pease. Certainly it is worth
making the additional advance in or
der to realize the peace for which we
have already struggled, for nothing is
more certain than that until normal
conditions are restored in Europe,
there can be no peace
above all things, I would say that
whatever action is taken, should be
taken Immediately. The crisis is so
acute that the situation does not ad-
nit of delay, except with the POSSIBLE
ity of consequences one hardly dares
contemplate.
THE situation that I have spread
out here is far beyond the scope of in