The Washington herald., 1921-12-11

mas
that some time next year. perhaps
In the early spring, the world will
gather about the green table again.
IL has even agreed quite tentatively
that Brussels might be the best
place for such a convocation, since
the French will not go to London
nor the British to Paris, and the
United States, if il goes at all, is
quite as willing to go to the Bel
Eian capital as to any other city IN
Europe. with the single exception
OF Geneva, which might suggest
CanOssa.
Our interests Obvious
But should the United states SO
To any economic conference any
where as things stand today? This
is the real question. OF course We
have obvious interest in improV-
ing economic conditions. Our Tor
ign trade languishes and we'll
nigh disappears. The products of
our Eelds and our factories are
|, piled up in home storage, or on the
uuays OF Europe. Our farmers are
Using their corn for coal And de-
spitc all this Europe has bitter
need Of all the things We desire to
sell. Yet while our money con-
PAPER increasingly worthless, Eu-
rope cannot buy.
II Europe could make up US
mind TO any one program in the
matter Of reconstruction, the United
Estates would. have to go to confer
cnce this is plain But can any
conference accomplish anything
while the problem of reparauons
remains unsettled. while Europe Il
divided over the whole issue and
the policy OF France neatly par
aIyzcs that of Britain while Brit
ish policy equally adroitly blocks
French? Is it of any use for us 70
go TO a European gathering "hhe
Europe remains divided by secular
jealoustes and paralyzed by con-
Temporary clashes of interest!
In any event this question IS
being asked with increasing ire
ouency In Washington at the pres
emit hour. A few days ago theIe
cams from the White House the in
direct suggestion that Ameriea
,,,t.nt not only attend but aid in
,bs calling of new conferences
Europe leaped upon the suggestion
as meaning IL not an American re-
turn to the league, at least Amerl-
IN adherence to a new league TO
n. called by the blessed name OF
association. 1t required only a 1T
+Is time. however. to establish the
cot that President Harding was
not thinking OF such a course, ye'
there remained the perfectly 1us'
interDretation that he looked with
r.-n,,.I upon the conference
bsbitr and would be disappointed
a. ,fter washington there were not
some further forward step TOWARD
International adjustment through
international discussion
Centers on Preparations.
AcceptinC all this, however, the
" supreme question remains the same
II o., Americans: Our self interest
,.couires the reconstruction Of Eu-
one But how can one reconstruct
snsrchy, and by anarchy l mean
not Bolsheyism, but the present
chaos in policy, which marks the
nations once associated TO defeat
Germany and now hopelessly d.
vided over what should be done
with the conquered foe.
OF course the whole question
centers about reparations. Even
IN. debate over land ornaments Is
.rn.idiary TO that of German pay
.rr,u, At a test date She must pay
an tnstalment upon her account
Win her conQuerors. A few months
Aparo there was general agreement
4 that she could and would pay. To-
day there is no similar certainty
berlin and London are both points
Of departure for rumors of NOR
! atorium. Paris responds with sug-
cestions of armed occupation, Of
tn. application of a process which
resembles the seizure of the assetl
Of a debtor, the application of the
bankruptcy process.
But what is the use of a new con-
Inference to restore confidence or en-
\courage economic revival. IL British
policy and French policy are thus
at odds? As long as Britain insists
that the solution is the amendment
by reduction of the financial clauses
of the treaty of Versailles, while
France maintains that the solution
is application of force ana the pres
eryation OF the treaty. what can
the American representatives do at
a new conference?
British Realize Plight.
Back of the British position lies
the 6Elllcn oTillsh n
propagandist from Keynes to Wells
! is dominated by the perfectly ac-
curate appreciation of the truth
that unless the European market
ix restored the plight of Britain is
desperate. Perhaps. as both aver,
the ruin Of Western civilization will
follow Certainly millions of peo-
ple living within the British Isles
will have to migrate or starve II
they are long deprived of the op-
portunity to sell the products of
their labor abroad and buy food for
home consumption with the pro-
ceeds England became a factory
nation in the last century and must
sell or perish-this means that IL
must reopen the markets of Gem
trs1 Europe and of Russia and that
IL must do this quickly.
81 this is perfectly clear. but