The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-18

France and Great Britain on rep
arations. Till that is settled, 1t Is
recognized as useless to talk OF
what the French and British ca
pacity to pay their war debts or in
terest will be for the whole econ
Omic future of Europe rests on
whether Germany is to be dis
membered or helped to her feet so
she can pay her debts.
No Reversal Contemplated.
Secretary of State Hughes is out
spoken in his displeasure over the
character of the reports which
have been published in the last
few days. The effect has been to
bewilder the people of the world
and to arouse fears in congress
that the administration was about
the reverse itself completely on its
policy of avoiding foreign political
entanglements.
!. In answer to the clamor OF the
press for clear statement of what
the American government has in
mind, the argument is made by the
White house itself that to discuss
the situation officially might mean
"spilling the BEANS"
Solution Not Mysterious.
But the situation is not cloaked
in mystery. 1t is all too obvious to
those who have studied circum-
stances leading up to the present
crisis in Europe There are no
new facts. The international bank
ers who conferred in Paris and
called ]. P. Morgan to aid them
came to the conclusion then that
they might be able to float loan
of billion and half dollars to
help Germany provide certain
things were done by France and
Germany. On the one hand Ger
many was to make certain internal
reforms looking to the balancing of
her budget and the sterilization Of
the mark. On the other hand
France was to agree that the loan
would be a prior lien on Germany's
assets and was to give up the So
called military clauses of the Yer
sailles treaty which permits France
and the allies to invade Germanys
territory as penalty for default in
payment of PREPARATIONS.
Bar French Penalties.
Until these obnoxious clauses of
the treatry are wiped off the slate.
no loan is possible. The United
States government isn't party to
those penal sections of the Yer
sailles treaty but can use her diplo-
matte influence to persuade France
to agree not to use those penalties.
| Some of the cable reports from
Paris indicate that the French gov
eminent wants to know the Amer
lean proposal and wants to see a
loan tioated before it will decide
| what to do about these military
clauses. That's line of reasoning
which will bring collapse to the
informal negotiations now going on
if persisted in.
! France Enigmatic.
/, The whole situation really re-
wolves now as it has for four years
around French policy. The Amer
lean government knows the big
task ahead and the details of its
argument would be to make diff
cult continuance of negotiations
The idea that rigid program has
been worked out or that formula
has been devised to save Europe
from disaster is unfortunately moi
true.
The government here seeks such
mula but must first satisfy itself Of
what can be done. The central con.
Etroversy is about reparatiOns. Until
that is settled there is no use think.
ing of loans or even economic con.
ferences. All the steps which imply
a more active policy of help to Eu.
rope on the part Of the United
States can be momentarily set aside
twhiie the government here endeav.
ors to mediate as between France
and Germany and Great Britain OF
the amount of reparations.
/ Treaty Augurs Trouble.
The United States is a party tt
that portion of the treaty of Yer
sailles dealing with the fixing of thu
amount of reparations and can TAX,
the initiative in proposing settle
ment. The United States as one o
the victors in the war is entitled t,
say what she believes the van
pushed will pay. Some method o
arbitrating this dispute and com
polling an acceptance of the de
cision OF the arbitrating nation o.
tribunal must first be found befor,
anything else can even be cOnsid
cred, even the idea Of foregoing in
terest on allied war debt or tn,
major funding operations whicl
the American funding commission
is preparing to discuss with tn
debtor nations in the early part o
1923.
One thing at a time-and not S,
fast-for diplomacy moves slowly
This is the word of caution of Off
Gals today as they warn the publ
not to expect America to be abb
to accomplish very much. For afte
all it is an almost inf1exible Frencl
government whose views must b
nodded to conform with the British
.. American view before Europe cal
) be materially helped by any for
mula.
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