The Washington herald., 1921-05-15

administration which took once on
March found the country, at one
moment unalterably opposed to
political entanglements and mex
tricably entangled in financial and
economic affairs, They discovered
that there was. on the economic
side. at least, only one situation.
that the United States was as deem
lyconcerned as any other country
In this world situation and that
American participation In ali effort
10 restore economic order in the
world was ineluctably imposed upon
any American administration. They
found, in fact. that American In
terests had already suffered by TEN.
porary isolation.
Economic Questions.
But having so far followed the
course of the administration IL Is
inevitable that one should now In
quire whether IL be as possible or
as easy as sone might think to. sep
arate the economic from the politi-
cal issues. Mr.. Wilson, to be sure,
made no effort. because he was not
Interested in economic questions IN
the slightest degree. He was seek.
ing to settle he world situation By
resolving the political dificulties.
But will IT be measurably simpler
to solve the economic troubles with
an equal disregard for the political?
The problem OF success or failure
for the Hughes policy, which is eco
nomic participation and political
abstention, Is locked up in this sin
gle question. To take an iIlustra-
ton. In recent days the whole
European situation has been dis
turbed by the Upper Silesian affair.
1t Is plain that IL the supreme coun-
Gil undertakes to disarm Germany
that II must also undertake to pro-
tect Germany from outside attack.
Supposing that the supreme coun-
Gil shall decide that much of. what
has now been occupied by Polish
insurgents shall be allocated to
Germany. who Is to undertake the
taskf
Coal Important. 4
Yet IL Is equally clear that IL the
coal regions are to go in part or
wholly to Germany and I am not
now thinking Of the rights and
wrongs of the matter-they become
an important factor in the problem
of the economic rehabilitation of
Germany. II the supreme council
decides that the Upper Silesian coal
mines belong to Germany they will
be one of the important assets of
Germany for the meeting of the
claims of her creditors. But I can
not believe that the Poles will re-
sign these districts, which they car
ried in the plebiscite, without a
fight.
Not Only Political.
Certainly the question of Upper
Silesia Is political. but 1t Is not
merely political. The ultimate dis
position of the second most i'm
portant coal deposit on the con-
tinent of Europe is an economic as
well as a political question. And
the decision will have to be made
by the supreme council. To be sure
the American representative NAV alb
sent himself from the session at
which the decision is made. The
United States may disassociate
itself from both the decision and
the enforcement of the decision, but
II We are concerned in the economic
restoration of Germany, we must
certainly be concerned in the aues-
ton of the restoration of order
In the Upper Silesian area. More
over, IL the threat Of a French oc-
cupation of the Ruhr aroused Amer
lean anxieties, we cannot be less
disturbed over a Polish occupation
Of the Silesian coal regions, always
supposing that these are finally