The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-05
EUROPE AFTER
MORAL HELP OF
UNITED STATES
American Support Il
Wanted Especially !.
BY France.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The. Arxus.)

Washington. April 5.-European
diplomacy with all its shifts and
turns, ready 1t any moment to take
advantage Of the influence Of the
United States in its present state
Of international affairs, has fasten-
ed itself on the Washington admin
istration with the avowed purpose
of using the moral help, II not the
physical assistance, of America to
achieve certain objects in Europe.
Almost over night have come the
moves on the chess,board of world
diplomacy revealing President
Harding and Secretary Hughes in
a much more enviable position than
most people imagined would be the
case after q campaign in which the
present League of Nations was the
object Of so much condemnation.
France, more anxious at the
present moment to have the moral
help Of the United States than any
thing else, has made the first move.
She knows that the Harding admin
istrati0n is disinclined to ratify the
Versailles treaty. She doubted it
for. while but the reports of for
mer Premier Viviani after his talks
with members OF the United States
senate have caused the French to
abandon for the time at least all
talk of the league Of the treaty and
concentrate on regaining America s
moral help alongside France in the
controversy with Germany over
the payment of reparations.
Not . Treaty.
Even the Knox resolution which
was so distasteful to Europeans
because it implied to them the be-
ginning Of separate peace negotia-
tions with Germany, is now regard
ed as perhaps not so obnoxious
after all. The truth is the Knox
resolution is not q peace treaty and
never can be. Its danger lay al
ways in the possibility that it might
be construed abroad as a with
drawal Of the United States from
its association with the allies and
as the signal for . new under
standing between Germany and the
United States. President Harding
and Secretary Hughes lost no time
in removing such an apprehension
when they dispatched an informal
communication to Berlin notifying
Germany that America considered
her morally responsible for the war
and obligated to pay for the damage
done.
.. With such a statement proclaim
ing pro-ally policy, the friends OF
the Knox resolution have renewed
their activity. The White house
has spoken no word Of encourage
ment to the "irreconcilable" group
and 1t is suggested that the visit Of
Senator Knox to the White house
has been exaggerated to mean ar
immediate passage Of the Knox
resolution in the same form as il
was presented during the last ses.
sion.
Two Obstacles.
Two things, however, stand il
the way of such a course. One il
that the Harding foreign policy i.
not altogether formulated anG
there is no need for haste because
of the senate which meets agaiI
next Monday must first dispose o.
the Columbian treaty and the othel
is that the Harding administration
realizes full we'll that il it puts it.
support behind the Knox resolu
tion which merely repeals domestic
legislation it must at the SAM
time announce by what method i
will make peace with Germany
and there is no decision on tina
point yet.
Much Misunderstanding prevail
throughout this country as to tn
scope of the Knox resolution. It i
simply a declaration by congress o
the ending of q state of war but i
has no effect in international Law
until negotiations with German,