The Washington herald., 1921-04-10
tcontia,ed from page /. Main section,)

these appeals met the administra-
ton which came TO power month
ego.
The dificulties of the situation
were plain. In the first place II was
clear that both President Harding
and Secretary Hughes looked at the
war from far different point OF
yiew than had Mr.. Wilson. With
| him it had oeen a case OF the league
Ter nothing. He was little moved by
any feeling for oar associates In
the war, for him the Germans
ceased to be enemies on the morning
cf November IL. He was neither in
terested in helping our friends nor
| concerned in the task OF holding our
recent enemies to the terms OF the
treaty. When the Senate rejected
the league of nations he folded his
bands.
| Friendship Pleas Contradictory.
But coming to power and respon-
sibiIity, the new administration
found two problems confronting
them. Germany had defied our as
sociates, refused to comply with the
terms of the treaty OF Versailles.
hotIis as to disarmament and as to
Ireparations. She relied upon us for
aid and expected that action by the
Incoming Republicans would enable
her to escape her conquerers. on
the other hand, our recent asso-
| ciates. while still demanding our
sympathy, and cooperation. con-
ltinued to refuse to grant to us the
restoration of the slender rights
which we had preserved at Paris.
face two duties. II was essential to
deprive the Germans of the smallest
basis for their belief that the United
states would consent to play their
champion, that we would be led by
anti-British emotions to back Ger
many. 1t was not less necessary to
demonstrate to the British, Japan
ese and the French that we we're in
no mood to talk with them as
friends, as indulgent and sympathet-
ic friends, while they continued to
follow a course. which in our eyes,
seemed to be inimical to our inter-
este and contradictory of their re-
peated assertions of friendship.
All action at the Capitol from
March 4 to the present moment has
turned around these points. Strip
ped of all of the finesse of diplo-
macy, the Harding administration
has been saying to the Germans
You must pay. The question of the
reasonableness of the allied claims
against you is not now open to de-
bate. It will not be open to debate,
so far as we are concerned, until
there is some evidence of your rec
ognition of the moral and the legsi
obligation. Until you have demon
STATED proper appreciation of this
fact, the United States associates
Itself with its recent allies"
| The Loan Question.
This sentiment was expressed in
many ways. 1t was expressed with
great clarity in our postponement OF
the withdrawal of our troops from
the Rhine, in the discussion of the
postponement of the passage of the
Knox resolution, finally in the in
spired declaration of policy, which
came with the first Viviani confer
ences. Berlin, however, indicated
that some direct intimation had been
conveyed through other channels to
II the German government.
At the same time not less cleal
expression was found for the other
question. 1t is not the fault of the
United States government, Of tht
new administration, IL the British
the French. the Italians do not now
understand that before there car
be any satisfactory discussion of .
variety OF matters intensely inter.
esting to them, there must be 9
restoration of some of the condi.
tions which existed when we quit
the conference table. To be sure
we left the table and our departure
might serve as a pretext, at least
for the division of our chips, II
one may venture upon a poker hg-
ure of speech, but. since the ques.
tion Is now of our coming back al
the suggestion of our former asso.
ciates, we may well ask that. formel
conditions be, restored in advance Of
our return. -.
More than this. expression ha.
also been given to the purpose moi
to cancel the foreign loans. This
does not mean that President Hard.
ing or his Secretaries of State ant
Treasury have solved the great fid.
die OF how payment is to be made
or absorbed. 1t does not preclude
the possibility that payment may bt
found in something beside money
service or goods, 1t merely estab.
4 Iished the principle. which has beer
adopted by the F>fding administers
ton, that the loans are not to bt
wiped out without some sort of re,
turn and that discussion on such
proposal would be a mere waste, oi
time.
! America Wants 10 he Fair.
Vet. even here, in establishing q
principle, the administration ha:
demonstrated its desire TO avoit
any semblance Of injustice. Con.
ceding that there must be some sort
of payment. public statements in
cate that pending satisfactory ad-
iustment of a permanent sort. there
lis great disposition on the part