The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-22
AMERICAS PLACE I'M
SUPREME COUNCIL.
TO Be A GREAT HELP.
One of Main Things to Come
Up Is Convincing Poles of
Error and Dispute Over
Island of zap
BY GEORGE n. BARNES

Former Member British War Cabinet
Special Wireless Dispatch to hge-Her,hd
(After ten weeks spent in travel ME-
barnes has returned to London and to-
day resumes his cnbIe dispatches to
The Age-HeraId. Replacing Arthur
Henderson, who substituted for him,
MIR. Barnes comments interestingly
this week upon the Silesian cOntrover-
sy, the German separations tangle,
Americas entry into the allied cOun-
ellis and the British mining strikes.)
London, May AIS peciaL while
the United States may take detached
view of the Polish Silesian situation,
her participation in the deliberations
of the supreme council places her in
a position to help very effectively. me
news from Silesia is ominous. The
Polish filibusterers have again broken
loose. Worse still. they are being sup
piled form somewhere with arms and
ammunition, and that too, at time
when Germany has been compelled to
disarm, and is denied the opportunity
of fighting effectively for the reten-
ton of territory she has held for 200
years.
The Poles we'll know that in accord
ance with the terms of the treaty they
have signed the adjustment of
the border line is matter for the al
lied and associated powers to deter
mine after a poll of the people. Yet,
while knowing this, they have been
disloyal to the treaty and those who
won for them their freedom. This
latest act of base ingratitude Is on a
par with the escapades of Ziligowski
in Wilma.
DUTIES OF POWERS
The duty of the allied and associ-
ated powers Is clear. The Poles must
be brought to heel. Further shilly-
shallying can only have disastrous res
suits. There can be neither the peace
nor security which the world needs so
long as irresponsible filipnsterers are
allowed to play such pranks as those
of Fiume or Wilma, and now in upper
Silesia
There is, in fact, a danger of Polish
Emergency bringing on more war.
Russia is watchful, and so on may be
formidable. She may seek the restor-
alton of her one-time territory, and
might plead self-defense in justifica>
ton of renewed hostilities against
her perfidous neighbor.
IT, therefore, Poland Is to be main
tanned as an independent state, she
must be held sternly to her bond.
There is no doubt in my mind that
tion by Germany's acceptance Of the
allied terms on the reparations ques-
ton, for it Is not likely now that the
French ever will occupy the Ruhr val
ley. Many persons would have made
the terms to Germany harsher, but.
after all, permanent peace would have
been impossible under conditions of
German serfdom. The Germans are at
least bound to issue bonds in the near
future at the face value of $4,000. 000,-
coo and pledge bonds for the other
$4,000, 100000 to be issued If, and when,
the reparations commi ssion may think
fit. The latter provisions probably are
designed to satisfy French feeling. and
are not likely to mature. The Ger
mans will be well advised now to make
a real effort to comply with the inn
mediate requirements of the accepted
terms. so as to put themselves right
with the world.
MOST HOPEFUL FEATURE
In all the turmoil about our ears, the
most hopeful feature is the resumption
by America of her place in the allied
councils The interests of the modern
world are too closely interlaced to ad-
nit of so great a country as the United
States standing aside in isolation.
Lack of agreement there may be in
the supreme council in regard to ia
pan, and many othermatters, but agree
ment is much more likely to be reached
by close personal contact than by dip
lomatic sparring at long range.
The British mining dispute still
drsgs its weary length along al
though there are at the moment re-
newed efforts to bring the parties to-
gether in conference The government
offer of s50,000,000 subsidy to eass
wages down to an economic lever
failed to effect a settlement, and, in
ments to distort the dispute as one
between the government and the
miners.
This was unfortunate for the miners,
because 1t lost for them the support of
many decent and easygoing folk who
always on occasion rally to the sup>
port Of the constituted authority And.
of course, the promises OF support for
the miners, held out by frothy sections
of the community amounted to little
In actual performance. This last les
son in the futility OF fury may not be
lost In the future.
NOISY ELEMENTS
We have in this country the same
noisy elements as those who waited on
Mr. Thomas in New York the other day
But they are without influence, except
when labor is excited or confused II
the titular leaders of labor would blu,