Evening star., 1921-10-30
AMERICAN SUCCEEDS IN DIVIDING RHINE
FLEET WITHOUT STRIFE AMONG NATIONS

incompleteness Of the peace up to the
present time. The removal OF these
adverse factors Is proving to be an
alarmingly slow proceeding.
abnormal influences would be exceed
ingly difficult. The difficulty Is enor-
mously enhanced on account of the
embittered hatreds and distrusts
which the war has left in Its wake.
A still further obstacle of a serious
of the structure and processes Of the
European form of government, mat :
ter which our people have never had
occasion to study and understand.
II do not believe the present gov
ernmental methods in the countries
have studied would be strikingly
successful in dealing even with the
normal difficulties which must arise
in government. but they fall short in
the most startling way when those
endeavoring to administer them at
tempt to make them meet the utterly
abnormal requirements Of the present
time. In general, In these countries
as we have in America Instead these
countries are likely to find their par
liaments divided into anywhere from
ten to twenty different political
groups, varying from the extreme
radical to the ultra conservative.
pfished without some Of these groups
being temporarily combined to form
and support a ministry. Whenever
the opposition groups, in turn acting
in combination, can succeed In carry
ing through any substantial criticism
of the ministry the government--that
is prime minister and cabinet-must
fall and another must be formed with
the support of the victorious COM
bination, which. at least. for the mo-
ment and often for not much longer.
will refrain from making any formal
criticism of the actions of the minis
try.
NTHIS leads to instability and an
excessive concern upon the
part Of those in power with regard
to hostile criticism. Conditions thus
created cannot be favorable to the
PRONUNCIATION of bold policies in
volving that degree of consideration
for the existing situation in other
nations which is needed in order that
present international difficulties may
be amicably settled.
Such financial conditions as l have
been attempting to outline are preva-
lent in greater degree or less
throughout Europe. and to be aggra-
.Ndteu III InOSe countries dCtlSeiy IN
volved in the war 1t is evident that
the solutions cannot be applied
within any national boundaries. but
must be as broad as the difficulties.
which means that they must be as
broad as the world.
''The catastrophe wrought by the
war has gone far beyond all prece-
dent, and we have no standards by
which to measure its extent or which
enable US to predict the outcome.
What I have said only family sug-
gests the problems and the difficulties.
Many other phases which l have not
touched upon at all are contributing
factors of very great Importance.
"He would be a rash man who
would undertake to set forth a COM
plete program of the things to be
done to rescue the world from the
plight in which the war has placed
at best be only fragmentary and sug-
gestive.
"It is certain that among the steps
which are in the right direction some
of the most important are to remove
the existing specific controversies as
to boundaries. as to methods Of max
ing reparation, and as to securing
disarmament Of the ex-enemy coun-
tries: to encourage a more friendly
and confident cooperation between
the different countries in economic
matters where they have a common
interest; to cut down the expense for