Evening star., 1921-05-05
Need Felt Here
For Observer
AtParleys.
WOULD We BUT
LIMITED POWERS
America Is Disposedt to
Consider the World
Above Xap Issue.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


! ably will accept the invitation of
| ably will accept the invitation of the
meetings of the supreme council. The
inclination is to have an unofficial |
| observer present who will be able to
act as means of communication
directly between the allies as a group
, time inform the Washington govern
ment of exactly what occurs.
| The invitation itself has not yet
Deen acted upon. but the tendency
, is TO regard it as favorable op-
portunlty for closer contact with
European affairs The Wilson ad-
ministration for long time main
tanned an unofficial observer at all
such conferences and withdrew rep
resentatlon on the ground that the
] Harding administration should be free
! to decide for itself whether partici-
patton in allied councils should be
continued.
! Advantages Pointed Out.
| The advantages Of having an Amer
, lean representative sit in the allied
! councils appeal to folks here, because
! on which the United States govern
ment desires to be informed, and it is
not always possible to conserve Amer
lean interests when American diplo-
mats must seek verification Of impor-
| tant happenings through second
| hand sources of information.
In view of the indecision here con-
cerning American foreign policy, and
particularly the extent of American
participation in European affairs un-
der the Versailles treaty, any Ameri-
can representative sitting in the
meetings of the supreme council
would have limited powers. He would
be unable to take action without the
explicit instruction of the President
and Secretary of State. The govern
ment here may decide to use Ambas-
sador Myron T. Herrick if the meet
ings are held in France. or Ambassa-
dor Harvey il they take place in Lon
don. It is unlikely that a special en-
voy would be appointed for the pur-
pose, as the meetings of the supreme
council are infreQuent
There is always the chance. how
ever. that the President may avail
himself OF the opportunity to send
special ambassadors man Of the
type Of Elihu Root-whenever ques-
tions Of extraordinary Importance are
up for consideration.
Broadly speaking. the desire of the
allies to have America sit with them
in determining questions of vital IN
| terest to all nations is reciprocally
felt here. In other words, the dis
position is to look upon the allied
invitation as a means of consolidat-
ing the principal and associated row.
ers into a family council and minimize
the chances of friction between the
United States and it's associates in
the war.
There have been reports that the
American government would delay
sending a representative to the SUI
preme council until the principles in
volved in the zap mandate controversy
were fully accepted by the allies. In
III l.
the information that the United States
while deeply interested in the outcome
of the zap controversy feels it ad-
visable to consider the broad inter-
ests Of the world rather than her own
special interests in a particular con-
troversy. In other words, it is felt
that a favorable determination Of the
Yap controversy is actually in process
and that the reparation problem is Of
such vast Importance to the economic
recovery Of the world that America
cannot afford to insist that the zap
controversy be settled before she as
sumes her rightful place in the council
of nations.
The opportunities for America to
help the allies by giving unofficial
| advice. IL 1t is sought. or to correct
misapprehensions concerning Amer
! ica's attitude toward her associate es
in the war are too important to be
neglected.
+ The feeling here is that the Harding
i administration is doing all in it's
power to prevent the Germans from
relying upon American aid as against
the allies in pending controversies
A decision to sit alongside the allies
in the supreme council even though
it did not in the slightest degree in
volve the United States in any com
mitments whatsoever. would be con-
strued by the allies as strengthen
ing of allied solidarity and as a con-
vincing argument to the Germans that
| they had better heed the allied de-
mands and settle the reparation ques-
| ton So long as American participa-
| ton is unofficial and informal. the
| opponents of Cooperation between
| the United States and the allies will
be disarmed. but it is of more than
passing significance that members Of
| the so-called "irreconcilable" group
| in the Senate are watching with
I some degree Of uneasiness the
! tendency of the Harding administra-
tion TO take broad worldly view of
pending problems. rather than to
Fellow a strictly nationalistic or
| isolated policy.
tC0pyright 1921