New-York tribune., 1922-08-26
AngIo-Anlerican
Bloc lis Assailed
AtWiIlianstOWn
Already Looked On With
Suspicion, Crosby Says,
in Opposing Scheme for
Joint Action i'm Europe
Objects TO New Loans Now
Bankers Called Negligent
in Offering Securities
From Abroad to Buyers

WILLIAMSTOWS, Mass, Aug. 25.~~-
There are great dangers in an Anglo
American coalition to control the world
Oscar r. Crosby. former Assistant Sec
retary of the Treasury, told the Insti-
tute of Politics to-day, in opposing the
scheme OF DIR. B. NJ. Anderson of the
Chase National Bank, under which
America and England would join In
helping Europe upon strict conditions
of retrenchment reform.
Mr.. Crosby said that the Anglo-Amer-
scan bloc was already looked upon with
suspicion in certain quarters, and IL
would be dangerous thing TO have a
union of English speaking peoples
looked upon as 3 menace to the world.
Mr.. Crosby said there were fashions
In seurities just as in bonnets. and
bankers would tell you that now was a
time for electric traction issues, and
again that something else could be
handled. He thought there was a cer-
tain amount of negligence in the way
the bankers handed on seurities to the
pUUilC, anu uc wac OpROcS& w viz sh>-
eepting of hasty financial advice that
now was the time to lend money to
Europe. q
Tells of Postwar Offers
He remembered how financiers came
60 Europe at the close of the war and
wanted to lend nothing less than $1o,-
900, 900, 900. When Europe wants to
borrow money from America, Mr.. Cros-
by thinks, her countries must show they
are just as good risk as an American
state, and that nothing less than salts
faction in this respect should be ac-
epted as warranting loans.
When America entered the war she
found that the demands of the Allies
were being duplicated, and it would be
found to-day that loans would be used
for duplicating Europe's need.
1t would be better, in Mr.. Crosby's
opinion, not to think of the writing
off of inter-Allied debts now. He de-
nied that Europe needed money In the
sense of rehabilitation and proposed
rather that the whole question of how
much could be paid by the various
countries should be turned over to a
neutral consultative body of experts.
AS this body would be purely consulta-
tive, American representatives could SIT
ON it and report to the American gov
arnment. This body would report on
the situation in two or three years, and
meanwhile all nations should be al
lowed rest from reparations and debt
payments.
On Basis of Ability to Pay
Mr.. Crosby said it was impossible
10 accept the opinion of financiers to-
day on what it might ultimately be
possible for countries to do, just as
in spite of the highest financial advice
Great Britain accepted perfectly fan
&astic figures of what Germany could
pay. Mr.. Crosby thought the neutral
committee he proposed should consider
the debts or the basis of how much
could be collected If America and
England tried, as suggested. to impose
terms on the rest Of the world the
result would inevitably be the combin-
ang of other powers against them. On
the other hand, when his proposed COM
mittee finally came to their conclusions
Ut would be possible to settle upon a
practical sum, which would then be
Eurned into obligations and sold to the
general public of the world.
In his final lecture on the "preven-
sion of war;" Philip Kerr, Lloyd
Georges former secretary, said the
British Empire could not continue in
definitely in it's present form, and
xrged the world to greater unity. He
Bald in part:
"No nation can or will abandon it's
ornaments altogether until it has both
Nn alternative method of protection
and system In which it has conf
nance whereby disputes with it's neigh
bors can be justly and honorably
1ecided. Universal peace will never
Hcsne from universal disarmament.
international courts are step in
fhe right direction. But international
:. n0urts by themselves cannot suffice.
~ Indorses League Idea
ri entirely indorse the underlying
WSdea of league or association, call Il
what you may, of all the nations of ths
earth to deliberate about world prob
Jems. Some such regular gathering i:
essential to international understand
sng and the emergency of the worls
point of view But league or asso
citation of absolutely independent SOW
ereign nations will ultimately fail
partly because fts members will b,
delegates and forced to discuss worls
problems as matter of bargaining
between their separate states, but still
),
good, will only be effective if they ar,
carried out simultaneously by NOR.
than fifty separate states scattered al
over the world and wholly Immersed
in their own point of view. | thinl
every dispassionate thinker will agree
that none of these expedients, admir-
able as they are, is means OF ending
war.
The first indispensable step is te
get general assent to the Fundamental
covenant that the promotion of the
general good Of humanity ought to be
the standard of our conduct, whether
Es individuals or communities
The second obstacle is no less for
raidable, and that is the different levels
OF civilization. The great majority of
humanity is still not yet self-governing
IN any real sense of the word.
"Then there is third obstacle. That
fs the sheer problem of numbers. II
the population Of the world ia some
1,70o,009.0 .00e people, and if one-third of
fhcse are children. a world assembly
Oh the basis of one member for every
100000 electors would we'll exceed 10
600 members, a wholly fantastic and
unavoidable number. The present ma
chinery of democracy does not seem ia
bic very appropriate for dealing with
the world problem.
"Then there is fourth obstacle. II
ever the world is to have unity ans
liberty and peace. it must Be on ths
basis Of the selfgovernment Of all its
parts.
81 see that somebody has suggeste,
that I want the United States to ioi,
the British commonwealth. don't. TO,