Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-29
| PRESIDENT P ACTS TO
HALT SENATE ACTION
ON PLAN OF B0RAH
Continued from Page One.

ana requesting the president to call
an economic conference to deal
with conditions in the war-torn ma
tons of Europe, L write TO say that
I know OF no prohibition against
such an expression on the part of
congress, but / do frankly question
the desirability OF such an express
sion. l think 1t is undesirable be-
cause Of false impressions which
may be conveyed thereby to Eur
opc, and even more undesirable be-
cause OF the wrong impression it
conveys TO our own people.
"On the face OF things it Is
equivalent to saying that the exec
utiye branch of the government
which is charged with the conduct
of foreign relations Is not fully
alive to a world situation which Is
Of deep concern to the United
States,
"As a matter OF fact the Euro
pean situation has been given most
thorough and thoughtful consider
alton for many months. Without
questioning the good faith Of the
proposal, / am very sure 1t would
have been more seemly and the
action Of the congress could be
taken much more intelligently If
proper inquiry had been made of
the state department relative TO the
situation in which we are trying
to be helpful
"Of necessity the communica-
tions of the state department rela-
Iva tn aY Vn
tions cannot be bulletined from
day to day, but the situation is
never withheld from members of
congress who choose to inquire for
confidential information In a spirit
of cooperation. Such inquiry
would have revealed the futility of
any conference call until Il is un-
derstood that such a conference
would be welcomed by the nations
concerned within the limits Of dis
cussion which the expressed will
of congress compels this govern
ment TO impose.
'In ratifying the treaty OF peace
with Germany. the senate made a
reservation that the United States
should not be represented on the
reparations commission without
consent Of the congress, and no
such consent has been given. More
over, in creating the world war
debt funding commission, that
body was restricted to explicit
terms for rates OF interest and ul-
innate time OF payment. II con-
gress really means to facilitate the
task Of the government in dealing
with the European situation, the
first practical step would he to free
the hands of the commission SO
that helpful negotiations may be
undertaken.
at IS quite generally accepted
that the adjustment of the ques-
ton of reparations must underlie
any economic rehabilitation Of
Europe, and reparations cannot be
settled without the consent of the
governments concerned. The Unit
ed States cannot assume to say TO
one nation what it shall pay in
reparations nor to another nation
what 1t shall accept.
ain discussions with foreign gov
ernments. the previous administra-
ton and the present administration
have insisted that the question of
EuropeM debts to the United
States ~ distinct and apart from
the question Of reparations, but
Europeans hold a contrary view
and It is wholly inconsistent to in
vite conference tor the consider
alton of questions, in dealing with
which the government is denied all
authority by act of congress.
80 far as the limitation Of land
armaments is concerned, there
seems to be at this time no more
promising prospect of accomplish
ment than when the conference
was held in Washington a year
ago. Here, again, 7 venture to
warn the senate against the sugges-
tion to our own people or n ges-
ture of promise 10 the world which
cannot be fulfilled until the ma
tions directly concerned express
their readiness to cooperate to.
such an end.
with respect to a limitation of
auxiliary types Of naval craft.