The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-31
CLEARING UP.
OF EUROPEAN
TANGLE FIRST
Other Questions Take Back
Seat Politically, We Hold
Aloof; Economically, All
Our Concern Is Abroad.
MUST EXPORT GOODS
BY MARK SULLIVAN

BY MARK SULLIVAN
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 31.-A
good deal of the spice that goes with
Washington conversation nowadays
consists of remarks quoted from ex
President Wilson or attributed to him
The burden of many'of these remarks
authentic or alleged, is ironic com
ment on how the Republican party
having marched violently down the
hill from where Wilson took the world
is now turning slowly around and get
ting ready to march up again.
1t would be unfair to Wilson to i'm
If he has INDUCED in it, has been in
any degree touched with malice OF
the satisfaction of Il told you so'
The fact is quite to the contrary
Wilson has been helpful to the pres
ent administration in the untangling
of our foreign relations in every way
that he could help, or that the admin
istration has wanted his help. Also II
would be most incorrect inference
to suppose that any Republican leader
has the faintest notion of going as far
up the hill as President Wilson once
was.
Foreign Affairs First.
Nevertheless, it is the cleareSt fact
in Washington that every other ques.
tion has now taken a position inferior
to our International relations. At the
beginning of the administration, three
months ago. emphasis was laid chief
ly on our domestic program. on the
tariff, on taxation, and on the reor
ganization of the government So far
as emphasis was laid on our foreign
relations at all, that emphasis was
in the direction of making Europe un
derstand that we wanted to have tbs
least possible to do with her, in a
political sense at least.
From the time of Harding's inaug
ural speech on the fourth of March
until Ambassador Harveys speech
two weeks ago, the process was one
OF telling Europe.ain louder and loud
er tones, that we would have nothing
to do with the League OF Nations
The general impression seems to be
that Ambassador Harvey's effort was
sufficiently high pitched to be unmis
taxable.
Same Old Questions
And yet the fact is that today the
body of questions which are included
in the league of nations is precisely
the body Of questions to which oul
government is giving most concern
and which, incidentally, is giving mos
concern to our government. There |:
no inconsistency in this, and it i:
proba bly, entirely according to sched
ule.
Harding undoubtedly regarded it a;
his first business to get it clearl!
into the understanding Of Europe tha
the verdict of our people on the league
of nations had been such that his ad
ministration must stay out of 1t, ant
that Europe must adjust herself t.
this condition before Harding's ad
ministration could make any progress!
with Europe toward a different sort o
understanding.
Anyone who wishes a short cut tt
understanding of the administration
position can get it, in a way, by re
membering the distinction between
what is political and what is econom
ic Politically, we will have nothin,
to do with Europe; economically, al
concern is with Europe.
Need Stability
Politically. we will take no hand il
the stabilization of Europe or in tn
maintaining of any of the politica
entities of Europe; economically, al
our concern is in the direction tina
Europe shall be stabilized as quickl.
as possible and that the various ma
tions of Europe shall arrive as sool
as possible at state where the worlt
feels secure about their perma nsnce
The Republican leaders know well
and frankly admit, that our economi
prosperity is dependent on the stabi
ity of Europe They know that prac
tically every European country want
to buy goods and credits in America
They know it is to Americas interes
to sell goods and credits to Europe.
In fact, they know that We can't be
gin a new cycle of rising prosperit
until we begin to ship goods to Ell
rope They know this would com
sooner or later if the United State
would join the league of nations. o
would if any other way to help t
guarantee the stability of the ney
and old political entities of Europe
They know that if we insist on po
icy of isolation the date of stabilit
for Europe and consequent prosperit
for us may be much longer postpone
than if we were willing to take
hand in guaranteeing the stability Q
Europe But however great the ect
nomic motive may be toward goin
in, the political motive for stayin
out is the greater.
Copyright. 1921. by the New lor
Evening Post. Inc.)
Supreme Court Adjourns