Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-26
IDEA Of AMERICA
ACTING AS UMPIRE
NOT GERMAN ALONE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

WASHINGTON, April 23.-Ger-
many's effort to get the United
SAFES t. say what amount wuul'
be fair and just as a war indemnity
was not altogether of German origin,
for there is go'1 reason to believe
that in countries other than France,
the banking community has hoped
the American government would be
able to find compromise between
the extreme vlews of Frarce and
Germany.
But President Harding aid Secre-
tary Hughes turned down the Ger
man request for arbitration for an
entirely different set oe reasons. 1t
is true that the American attitude
toward reparations is that the
amount first fixed was too much of
burden and destroyed the incen-
tive Of the Germans to work hard
enough to pay their bills. Yet be-
hind any proposition which intro
duces American argument or sugges-
ton is the greater factor of Ameri-
can responsibility for the size of the
indemnity fixed.
If the United States had agreed to
arbitrate. the American government
might have been placed in a position
of being morally required to accept
German reparation bonds in exchange
for some of the allied debts to the
United States. This American pub
lie opinion has evidently looked upon
as a make-shift of doubtful value
because when the first suggestion
about it was made Washington show
ed a marked GOODNESS toward that
would tend to depreciate the value
Of Americas foreign loans.
The Harding administration Off
clally terms these loans as "a most
valued asset" and at a recent cabi-
net meeting the decision was unani-
moius. for rejecting any schemes Of
cancellation either in whole or in
part
Of course the entire question of
foreign Indebtedness has always had
Ia direct bearing on what amounts of
money the allies could collect from
British or French obligations to the
backs of the Germans who are al
ready overloaded with debt has been
officially squelched, whether present
ed to the United States formally or
informally through diplomatic or fl
nancial channels.
The decision of the Harding admin
istration also is in line with the at
titude assumed by the American COM
missioners who advised President
Wilson at the peace conference. A
study was made informally of the
PREPARATION question but the United
States declined to render an official
opinion. 1t was felt that Americas
views would be presented at the rep
IarationS commission table. But that
commission was unable to function as
complete fundamentally largely
because the United States refused to
ratify the Versailles treaty and
T,na Of Nations which nYnrnSS1V
provided for American membership.
Technically the allies ignored the
treaty when they endeavored through
the supreme council on which Amer
lea was not represented to fix the
amount of the indemnity.
Official Washington doesn't doubt
that the United States will have
something to say about the repara-
ton question, but informally and in
unison with the allies. America S
views will be expressed at the next
inter-allied conference and there is
every reason to believe that Wash
ington will urge compromise rang
ing herself alongside Great Britain.
It is not exactly the amount of the
indemnity but the method of payment
which has caused American opinion
to drift away from the French view
though it is insisted here that Amer
lea in noWise wishes to permit Ger
many to escape her responsibility to
| restore the regions devastated and
lpay a just indemnity. 1t all ranges
around the question Of what is fair
and just, and it also has. an impor-
tant bearing on world economics, for
the desire to punish Germany, some
French extremists have forgotten
that the economic power Of Germany
might be so weakened as to prevent
her from earning the money she
owes the allies.
NV H1OhaG' nnta intend
ed to show that the United States
wants the Germans and the allies to
get together again and discuss the
whole question once more. The feel
ing here is that there is a change
in the situation and that the Ger
mans now realize they must not make
such trifling contemporary as
they recently did but must show a
readiness to pay what they really can.
If the Germans had shown any sim
cerity in the last conference, the al
lies would have modified their origi-
nal terms. Some diplomats say franl:-
lily they believe Germany was waiting
for the Harding administration TO
come into power and take sides with
PEELED by the Hughes note and the
Germans realize their only hope for
a square deal is in a conference in
which America sits in as dispas-
sionate observer. Such conference
is inevitable and there is high hope
that Americas participation in the
conference will lead to a settlement
and prove again that the power and
influence of the United States in in
ternational cooperation can be diff
ferent from the viewpoint Of the ir-
reconcilables" who shout "entangling
alliances whenever an international
association OF any kind is mentioned.