The Washington herald., 1921-09-18

~ state of things is not looking bright for the
q Washington conference in November as re-
CARDS its larger hopes arranging the foundations OF
universal peace. / - -. ~. .~. 80 3,
The of that conference will depend largely
upon the previous settlement of outstanding troubles
and upon the cooling down OF that witches cauldron
of the passions and fears OF Europe and other parts of
the world. 1t will be useless for Secretary Hughes,
Senator Lodge and other American delegates to put
forward ideas of proposals before European statesmen
like Lloyd George and Premier BRAND if Europe
and Asia conyused by political moral fevers or
threatened by imminent upheavals
Nor can any decision made at the conference
be efestve if the national delegates. however dsn-
guished however sincere fail to get the support of the
democratic opinion Of their respective countries, and
still less if powerful forces like hunger, poverty and
the despair of great populations lead to new tragedies
utterly beyond the control of the gentlemen sitting
In the Washington council chambers. ...aa .,
In the of Great Britain, handicap which
would spoil everything may be removed by November
if the Irish leaders declare for peace instead Of
war; i fully believe they will at the eleventh hour.
Lloyd George is working gaanty to that end and
Is repairing errors of his past policy but there
, is India well as ireland; and Egypt, as well
India and wrote at length in recent article the
British Empire is faced with very sinister movement
in the Mohammedan world. -
Great Britain also is advancing towards winter
which is bound be full of anxiety for domestic
Unemployment still is alarming problem. The
unemployed are becoming insstent when British trade
is at low ebb with immediate prospects of rapid
recovery owing to the economic i'll health in all parts
of the world ~ r.. =. ~. -.. ...s's Il, SsAat
I MAY puzzle my, readers to understand how
connect that situation with the program of the
Washington conference but the truth is that is just
this economic disease affecting the world today which
may wreck all hopes Washington. For there can be
advance In idealisms common among
countries entirely absorbed in desperate efforts to keep
solid ground amidst the quagmire of ruin, and to
themselves and their own material interests at
the expense of other people and with any kind of risk
according to the law of sef-preservation. ..-
The Russian famine dominates all of the interna-
tonal problems today far as the United States
1t is Russia that may wreck the Washington conference
The for that is simple to- anyone who has
learned how all the parts of the world are de-
pendent upon all other parts as links in the chain
of our commercial and material life.
Before the war, Russia one Of the big gran
aries of Europe, and in return for grain and other
supplies received exports of manufactured articles
from many countries and above all Germany. Ger
manys recovery and ability to pay the indemnities
depend good deal her future chance of recon-
structing Russia. France needs the German inden-
mites for her national solvency well as for the
repayment of old Russian loans Great Britain needs
German trade and does Italy and many other coun-
tries, including the United States. 49,.
: With Russia wiped still further by disease and
DEATH the future health of Europe and the whole world
is not likely to improve. But this Russian famine has
raised all sorts Of questions which will endanger peace
or at least postpone anything like disarmament unless
they are quickly deah with by generous craftsmanship
II was made clear to In Germany recently by men
like Dr. Gustav Sttessemsn, leader Of the Peoples