The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-14
By ROBERT C. HIpEN


 heard on the streets and other public places, a swell as in offices and pri- vate homes. these days In: You think there Is a possibility. of another big war in Europe In the next few years?"
 This question comes largely from two. classes-those who loaded up on foreign bonds during the more or less frantic security buying period of 1920 and 1921 when prosperity dump ed itself in the laps of many who im- mediately started "salting down their idle funds. on the attractive high-interest and Iong-term offers of foreign government Rotations; and those whose business here at home is believed to be more or less adversely affected by restrictions of foreign markets brought about by chaotic conditions IA Europe.
 Both of these classes have been reading foreign news touching on political and economic conditions ever since the armistice, and especially during the past year when the Euro pean situation appeared to become gradually more, discouraginE. They closely watched published reports from the various meetings of high authorities and officials discussing the big separations questions. and they seriously perused everything they could get from Paris, Cannes, Washington and Genoa.
 The whole situation has grown gradually more hay. Comparatively few business men in this country have been able to make any practical an. alysis of it because of the many large and constantly changing clements, conditions and influences. Every body realizes there is something radically wrong; but nobody Is able to recommend or suggest any definite plans for settlement and relief that will come anywhere near satisfying the various governments and inter ests concerned.
 One reason for this Is the frightful suspicion of one another the various European countries openly or secret ly entertain. Most of them seriously question one or more of the others motives and purposes. France hates her old border enemy, has distinct suspicious of Russia, keeps her eyes on Italy and has none too much trust in England. John Bull, with his big problem of debt and ,unemployment. hasn't any surplus of faith in France. still less in Russia, and watches closely Germany and the so-cailed neutrals, Austria and Germany are regarded by several European nations as international. rascals playing for time and concessions by hook or crook. mostly the latter. Poland is suspicious of Russia and vice-versa. Greece considers herself imposef on Rumanta, believes she Is being ex. plotted for selfish purposes, and mo- body in Europe or elsewhere has any confidence in or respect fir the un- scrupulons TL X.
 Another reason why the Europeans are having such a hard time agree ing on. any, definite plan for general economic reconstruction is that every one of those countries is full of graspins~ and brutal carpetbaggers, anspeakable scalawags and other for cign and domestic, parasites such as prevented the south from making any progress worth speak ing of for so many years after the Civil war.
 With these two very. stubborn ob- stacles to a real rehabilitation in Eu- rope. with moral as we'll as economic conditions more or less chaotic, with millions desperate over the outlook, hCoAinB that tHcy nave nOtnlnk 10 IOSe and scenting, chances of gain from joining pretty much any movement to raise cain, who in America can say there's no danger of war in Europe within the. next few years? There Is: and Europe is not far from 1t right Dow. The fact Is no smalf part of Europe is fighting. getting ready to fight or theatenins to fight at this time.
 . The vritsr is not predicting sariSs iis hQstilitfes, of m. extensivs scale in Europe. soms wise and long heads may work out plans. and. policies to spare the world ,6uch . disaster i'm. naediately following the one from which the civilized elobs Is still krievously nauseated. May A kind Providence solve the whole problem on a peace basis!
 But why the old stock argument about q nation being too poor to fight? That's absurd, Look, at Mex leo. for example. Down and out. the people at home broke. And yet Mexico fights year after year by habit and preference. It's | business down there. .
 It has been only | few years sinc< people in this country insisted Rus sia and Japan couldn't engage in an other war for 50 years, following the terrible conflict on land and sea be- tween those nations. Yet both. were in the World war tooth and toe nail" The same was said of Italy and Turkey, following their war few years ago Both were in the world war for who could last the longest" Similar predictions were made of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey after the Balkan. war. imme- diately following which two or more Of them engaeed in still another war over the settlement. All four werS up to their. .necks" inf the World war, while Greece and Turkey ars stin lighting over the Lord knowi what. Russia and Poland had | wat Since the armistice.,, though we over here were told both countries were |. :.hopelessly busted" while Rum4nia Persia. Armenia and other counties reported to have been subsistink largely on American charity, hav{ been busily engaKed in more or less "scrappinE." bushwh&ckink, snipinl and what not to the limits of theiz resources.
 The Chinese this vsfy day. after serving as victims of all the civilized nations looking for more fields yof S ~uyntx tsnv, for n HkuArat50u 0r rnfKp6