The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-21
EUROPE AGAINST
SCRAPP|NG LEAGUE
Recent Cable Dispatches
Show Such Course Would
Not Be Possible
WASHINGTON IS
A BIT DISTURBED
Fear That Aloof Attitude of United
States Is Likely to Have Adverse FL
feet on Foreign Trade-iiarding May
Surprise IrrecOncilables.

i Surprise IrrecOncilables.
i BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
/ Special Despatch to The Reformer.)
Il copyright 1921
Il WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Europes
/ outspoken attitude toward new associ-
| alton of nations. as revealed in the
| cablegrams of the last 24 hours, has
made a profound impression here upon
those who believed it would be easy work
to scrap the present league and lure
!, European powers into any international
organization, proposed by the United
| States.
What the European correspondents
have suddenly begun sending is no acct
dental discovery of the true state of
Europe's feelings because diplomats here
| have known that n coolness toward the
Harding proposals was springing up.
But what has happened is the beginning
of series of warnings by Europe to
America, that as between the hard and
fast alliance which at present is so
closely interviewer with the treaty of
Versailles and Il new association, which
resembles the Hague conference and
commits America to no obligations what
soeyer. obviously Europe would prefer
her alliance.
The writer finds the department of
state naturally upset by the turn things
have taken for the fear is expressed there
that resentment against the United
States will grow and will hurt American
opportunity to do business in foreign
markets because on every side there
viii be discrimination. But. in the de-
partment of state sits the Democratic
administration, where the Wilsonian
viewpoint is reflected. So the true value
of Europe's significant statements that
the present league will not be scTapped
for an empty association of nations must
be found elsewhere i'm Washington
Discussion with the principal repre-
sentativeS of foreign powers here CON
firms the cablegrams sent by Laurence
Hills. Paris correspondent of the New
| York Herald, a newspaper which has
from the start opposed the league of ma
tions, and the symposium of messages
sent by Paul Scott Mowrer. Paris CORE
Spondent of the Chicago Daily News. who
published kilograms from practically ev-
cry important capital of Europe. point
ing out that Europe wanted Americas
help and would cooperate in any new
plan for an association of nations, but
was by no means ready To abandon the
present league which is part of the
existing treaty that ended the European
war
All these developments are read here
in the light of the news that France and
Germany and Great Britain are consider
ing an agreement on the method of pay
ing iudemnitieS so that an economic
unit may be created on the continent of
Europe and thus diminish the require
ments of goods that might otherwise
have been brought from the United
States.
American officials here are doubtful
hut EfYarr nd n
they see in the story of an economic I'M
derstanding between France and Ger
many with respect to the exchange of
ores and coal simply an effort on the
part of the French To be Independent of
British coal. While there is still much
sympathy for France our officials con-
stantly point out that the Judgment of
the French is Short-Sighted and they are
simply trying to try to do more than
they should in Europe. Moreover, it isl
fact that maintenance by France of a
standing army of $4,000 men is re-
garded here as an economic waste. The
belief is expressed that the military
crowd in France will continue to keep
the questions of reparations unsettled 50
that the army may be kept intact for
there would be no excuse for the army
unless there was Il constant threat to oc-
cup s,, German territory because of non
fultiilment of treaty terms.
Until the indemnity is fixed and
France ceases holding club over all |
of Europe. with her big army. officials |
here see little opportunity for a STABILIZE |
alton of economic conditions and con |
sequently little chance for America to |
get good money for commodities she must |
sell to Europe to overcome unemploy- |
ment and unfavorable rates of exchange. |
The questions are no longer political. |
but economic and many of these men
who want to see Americas foreign trade |
expanded fear that Europe will not feel |
kindly toward the United States because |
III this moment of serious disturbance |
she has stood aloof seeking all the adj |
vantages without mourning any of the
responsibilities or obligations.
Europe never believed this would be |
forthcoming until the diplomats i'm
Washington began to report their under
standing of Mr. Hardings new foreign
policy. The reaction has just started
in. If America can get along without
European markets. then the new atti-
tude assumed by the powers is not to
be feared. If America wants European
trade and an influence in the regulation
of world commerce and finance the
warning Just sent by the European cor
respondents will be taken to heart. Dis
interested judgment in Washington is
that Warren Harding viii come closer