The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-04-28
BY MARX SULLIVAN
National Political Correspondent OF
Ths Intelig sncer.

Washington. April 27.--Thcrc Is ~
new element in the reparau"nS S'tu"'
ton. 1t is the most hopeful c"m' II
that has ever been in il. That cl"mc"'
is Charles L. Hughes.
Hughes is the only statesman con.
nccted with reparationS who can take j
position that is impersonal. He Is tn"
only one who can take Il position based
wholly on considerations Of SOUND poll
c!. lie is tho only one who does Mt
need to Keep his ear 10 tn" ground Tor
tho political revcrbcrationS Of his own
country. When the French statesmen
take Il position on reparatlonS they
have in mini partly what they hUncS:'
ly believe TO be best. and partly their
tenure on their offices IN their h",".
country. They must consider not only
what they. as experts close |" the Sit''-
alton, know it is possible 10 dc. "ut
also the vast prcjudtccs and the unrca'
Sonable expectations Of their people e.
Similarly, when German statesman
takes Il position on reparation$, 4"
must think whether that position. ly
being unpalatabl" to the people at home
may cost him his official position.
From the first day of the armiStIr"
that has been the bar to candor anu
ulrcClncSS III HdIlullHG INC I'!'Ai .'NiN'tIT
problem. british statesmen. t" keep
themselves IN power promised the Erlt
ish public that Germany would be mad
to pay the entire cost of the war. The
men who made the promise knew :,
could never be kept and trusted To d.
lay and the toGs Of haggling TO conceal
their cquivoCation. French statesmen
have always been in the same position
and German statesmen are in an analo.
gouS one. Even when Wilson was rep.
resented in the Preparations conference
he was not free from consideration that
were beside the point. He was infil.
enced by his zeal TO get the League II
Nations adopted.
For the first time. a man now enters
the rrparations situation who bring :
nothing but Candor dlrcCtncSS anG
common sense. Hughes i the ono man
who is free of the handcaps of being
conscious that he will lose his position
unless he pretendS to express the pr, .
JUDGES of celebrates inflameI by pas,
sion. Hughes can take Il position has i
on information and intelligence alone
and wholly regardless Of information l.
or fractional prejudice. America has II,
feeling about rcparationS such as tn
French have. on the ono hand. or N,
Germans h ve. on IN" other hand.
America Il neither the direct bcncIi
Ciary Of the reparationS nor the nation
Yelled or open accusations of sinister
purposes will continue 10 be made. in
crcaSing and acccntuating the irritation
that already exists. until war will be-
como almost unacceptable. If the nations
build for war. they may expect war.
or course. if naval competition is to
continue We must not be outdonc. We
must have not only surface fleet equal
to any. but submarine and air forces in
proportion. These auXiliarics are just
at present our greatest naval needs.
Without them. a powerful fleet of battle
ships may he defeated by smaller fleet
properly prov ided with the undersea and
air weapons. We must build on a three
plane" basis. or when the test comes We
shall be outclassed. Success in war is
the only justification for great naval en-
pcnditurcs. so if we arc going to build
We may as we'll do the job with success
in view.