Evening star., 1921-04-29
U. S. POSITION PLEASES.
Allies Thankful for Consideration
Thus Far Given.
by DAVID LAWRENCE,

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Great Britain and France are deeply
grateful to the United States govern
ment for the courtesy. as well as the
loyalty. displayed to the allied gov
ernments in handling the German
reparation proposal.
Officially. indeed. nothing has hap
pened-the allies haven't rejected or
accepted the German proposal; they
haven't expressed their views on how
ii might be modified satisfactorily; in
fact the allied governments have re-
ceived no proposition from Germany,
because the United States hasn't
transmitted any document. Comment,
therefore. as to its unacceptability as
an offer or its unacceptability as a
basis for negotiations has not been
formally uttered by any of the allied
governments to our government. All
this Is diplomatic fiction and custom,
but it tells the story. For, as mat
ter of fact. Secretary Hughes did give
duplicates of the German proposal to
the ambassadors and ministers of the
allied powers just as soon as the tele-
graph operators handed bookful OF
carbon copies to him. And within a
short time thereafter the American
! Secretary Of State learned the i'm
mediate. reaction of the diplomats
/ too. the British and French premiers
have spoken publicly their disap-
proval.
What. then. is the next move? Since
from Germany officially. they have
nothing before them. AS announced
by Premier BRAND. unless salts
factory proposal is before the supreme
council on May ! the occupation Of
the Ruhr valley by allied troops will
be begun as a penalty for German de-
fault.
Mediation Offer Fails.
So far the United States has not de-
cided to send the German proposal to
the allied conference, for intmations.
public and private. show the American
government how unacceptable the
German offer is. Therefore. the Ger
man maneuver of mediation through
the United States government has
temporarily at least fallen through.
An eleventh-hour attempt to stop the
occupation of the Ruhr can still be
made by Germany either through the
United States directly through
allied diplomatic representatives in
Berlin. but it is hardly expected.
The orr ginal German proposal. how
ever. lies on the desk OF Secretary
Hughes unacted upon. The cabinet
meeting here cannot advise any az
firmative course. but simply must
wait Developments. There has been a
good deal Of talk to the effect that
the United States government has not
from the beginning been desirous OF
finding out whether the German pro-
posal was acceptable, but whether 1t
would afford a basis for negotiation.
Inasmuch as officially the American
government has not yet transmitted
the document to the allies. the chances
are that the supreme council viii not
comment on the German proposal.
either as to its merit as basis for
negotiation or anything else.
L. s. in Pivotal Position.
One important fact rer.ains, how
ever, and the allies are deeply sensible
Of that fact. 1t is that the Germans
have formally placed before the
United States government document
which the American government can
answer If il chooses. either now or
next week. after the Ruhr valley has
been occupied. America. in other
words. has become means of COM
munica ton between Germany and the
allies and if the United States wishes
to adopt the role of mediator next
week that position is still open to the
Washington government.
But the allies view such a contin-
sency with peculiar emotions. They
insist that If the United States acts
as an Intermediary. the Washington
government automatically deserts the
allies and becomes more or less neu-
trail as between the allies on the one
hand and the Germans on the other
nanO, anu IS hO loHScE d III
the reparations question on the side
of the allies. This the allies declare
means also that any proposition made
by Germany and transmitted by the
United States will eventually have to
be underwritten by the United States.
The allies have no faith in German
promises. Will the United States be
ready to furnish military or economic
support to the allies IL the Germans,
after agreeing to pay. decide to re-
pudiate their promises? The allies
imagine that an administration which
has repudisted the league of nations
and ENHANCEMENT in European affairs
will decline to take the responsibility
Of mediating in a European affair. AL
though to be sure the allies would be
happy to have the United States under
write German promises either finan-
cially or otherwise. In other words,
will America, as a negotiator for Ger
many, accept the responsibilities which
any agent assumes in carrying on any
for his principal?
Omcials Perplexed.
The Department of State is weigh
ing these considerations carefully and
the entire administration is disin-
clined to get mixed up in the repara-
tions controversy at all, and il Ger
American government By dropping
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