The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-11

JUS. TROOPS TO
| STAY ON RHINE
TEMPORARILY
Withdra1Dal Might Be
Misconstrued BY
Germans.

OSJ1Jg0J18s
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus).
Washington. March 11.-Amefi-
can troops will remain on the
Rhine 1t least until the present
emergency arising out Of Ger
many's refusal to accept the repa-
ration proposals Of the allies is
cleared up.
The first act Of the Harding ad-
ministration toward Europe is, to
be sure, a passive policy, but it is
not without certain significance.
Mr.. Harding had announced dur
ing the campaign that American
troops would be brought back from
the Rhine as quickly as possible
after his election. Arrangements
had been made through the Re-
publican leaders In congress who
handle appropriations to cause
the withdrawal Of the American
contingent at an early date. The
sudden turn Of events abroad has,
however, made 1t necessary to make
q temporary change here, too.
President Harding discussed the
whole question with his cabinet at
the first meeting. Examination Of
the instructions given General Al
len, in command Of American
troops, revealed the fact that it
was unnecessary for the American
forces to move in any direction on
account Of the advance Of the al
lied troops and that there would
be no particular harm done II they
simply stayed where they were.
Thus the. allied forces alone would
exact penalties from. Germany and
be in the position Of enforcing the
terms Of the treaty. To the extent
that the United States has decided
to take no part in the enforcement
of the treaty terms, it can be as
sumed that there has been NO
change in the determination Of Mr..
Harding gradually to withdraw
America from active participation
in European affairs, even though
they do bear a relationship to the
war In which America was asso-
ciated with the other powers.
Might Be Misconstxuel
Z O. the SlneukAxnd. the Harding
adtin1stration realisss full well
that there is no necessity for adopt
ing an attitude of gratuitous in
difference tn European affairs from
a moral viewpoint and the argu-
ment has been effectively made
, that il the United States withdrew
her troops at the very moment
when the allied forces were ad-
vancing, it might be misconstrued
by the Germans as an act Of dis
approval by the United States OF
allied policy and might stiffen the
backs Of the Germans.
So for the present it is the Hard.
Ing policy As communicated to the
state and war departments and
concurred in by Secretaries Hughes
and Weeks that nothing be done
to aggravate the situation abroad
either with respect to the allie.
or Germany and American troops
therefore will sit tight and main
tain q neutral attitude.
Technically the United Statel
and Germany are still at war and
the American forces on the Rhine
are merely carrying out the terms
OF the armistice by which certain
territory was to be held by the
American troops until, a treaty o.
peace Is signed. Everybody real
ICES that the failure Of the United
States to sign the treaty negotiat
, ed at Paris has created an anoma.
lous situation from legal stand.
point though, in effect, the mainte'
nance or withdrawal of the Amer.
ican forces is really Of little mill.
tary importance or OF relatively lit
tie expense to anybody.
Germans to Pay.
The Germans are required BY
the terms of the armistice to paJ
all the expenses of the armies ol
! occupation, including that OF thu
! United States, and while the Amer.
ican government is advancing the
funds, the payments will be made
in due course by the Germans. Al
for strategic considerations, the ad
vance Of the allies has been beyoni
the points occupied by the Ameri
can forces and broadly speaking
the American troops are not in tn
way and can stay where they ar
/ without embarrassment to the nj.
lied military plans.
OF course II the present muddl<
over reparations continues unset
tied when the special session o
congress convenes next month. thu
Harding administration will broad
en- its passive policy to include {
postponement Of the plan to pas
| the Knox peace resolution. Oh
viously the United States woult
not negotiate peace with German,
! IL there were m open breach be
tween the allies and the Germans
The expectation. however. is tina
by time congress gets hack Il
Washington the European situa
tion will have been clarified sum
GENTLY to enable the Harding nd
ministration to proceed with it
plans for the making Of peac'
with Germany.
MOSCOW UPRISING.
London, March 11.-Inf0rmAtiol
lin British Official circles indicates
49, A. wAAorknN MnaNn- SSAv{~3M >,