The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-29

lies for instance the whole attitude of
foreign governments toward the fund
ing OF their debts to the United States.
How much interest can they afford 30
pay annually. how much toward the
principal if the chief item i'm their
budgets is military ana naval expense
Tor the next war? And while President
Harding has sent informal delegates
10 the foreign powers TO determine their
attitude toward a reduction of arma-
ment expense, the same informal re-
sponses have been made TO the effect
That when plan of insurance has been
provided, something that will assure
the safety OF European countries from
attack, then 4 disarmament program
VIII become plausible France for in
stance wants to know what insurance
the United States will provide against
attack by a reorganized Germany 10
years hence. The United States has
failed to ratify the special defensive
treaty whereby America and England
were to come to the aid of France in
the event OF an unproVoked attack by
Germany. The guarantees against war
adopted by France have been a big
standing army-a tremendous item in
her budget. Similarly Great Britain
has not set been convinced that she can
dispense with her navy. She doesn t
know American plans or pretensions
and all the talk she hears is about
growing friction between America and
England. The very suggestion of a bet
ter understanding between English
speaking peoples is made nowadays only
i'm whispers lest it be the subject of at
tack by the Sim Feiner element who
look upon the matter of relationship
between England and United States as
somehow inimical TO a free Ireland.
British-Japanese !s1liance.
As for Japan she il Just entering into
a new alliance with Great Britain
which means not only that the com
bined Japanese and British sea power
j. greater in strength than that of the
genius for shipbuIlding and naval in
yention is at the disposal of the Japa
neSe, All the talk Of the British naval
is available to the Japanese for train
| ing and upbuildlng of navy. Such an
intimacy is the natural outTowth of
the Japanese British alliance. 1t may
mean British neutrality in the event of
a conflict between the United States
3 and Japan, but meanwhile it does mean
! British Japanese partnership i'm prep
aration for amy war of the future.
/ 1t i not seNaggerating a bit to say
that the view here l. one of apprehen-
/ sion concerning the effects of the Brit
! ish-Japanese alliance if once renewed.
/ The government here hopes it will not
+ he renewed though nothing formal or
/ informal, direct or indirect, has been
said on the subject to any other gov
eminent.
Prospects Not Bright.
/ Those who had hoped the league Of
/ nations would put an end to alliances
/ are put to task in explaining how it
L Il that japan and England are entering
II into an offensive and defensive alliance
Il The answer usually made is that with
h the United States out OF the league the
strength OF each power depends upon
h special combinations with other DOW
ers and until America comes forward
with better plan for an association
of nations to embrace all countries and
participants in it herself the chances
of a general disarmament program will
not be bright The Harding plan for an
association of nations has already been
outlined sufficiently for the European
mind to understand that under no cir
cumstances will America assume any
obligation to preserve peace and prac
tlcally as regards quarrels in Europe
| The European countries maintain ar
mics and navies largely to protect
!: which like that in the Balkans devel
!: oped into n worldwide war and mas
Il much as America will not agree Il
throw her power into the scales, Euro
United states about disarmament N
merely talk
The Borah Paradox.
Mr.. Harding has hesitated to max,
known his disarmament plans Senator
Borah has been forcing the issue bu
the position of the Idaho senator Is it
self the biggest paradox of all. He il
: the leader of the Nationalist groul
which sincerely hopes America vii
have nothing to do with Europe, SHOULD
do nothing to guarantee Europes peace
: and yet. on the other hand. he j. fore
: most in insisting that Europe give III
her means of defense without offering
any help from America to insull
against possible war.
Behind the disarmament problem i
the larger subject of league of nations
and the cutting down OF military anG
!: naval budgets everywhere so tina
: America can get back some of the bil
sums of money she lent Europe during
the war The American government j
imposing large income taxes on its cit
liens in order to get the money to pa
: interest on Liberty bonds the proceed
: of which went TO Europe during tn
war In other words if Europe ceased
/ spending most of her money for futur
I wars she could pay the United state
something on that ten billion debt. |
). America began to get money from In
rope international exchange would ris
and the purchasing power OF the Euro