Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-14
MAY NEED TO JOIN
PREPARATIONS BODY
CONTINUED from First Paee.)


has been accepted as the best that could
be done with Congress under the cir
cumstances.
Other Complications.
Now, however. developments are
coming to the surface which indicate
that American rights cannot as well
be safeguarded by unofficial OBJ
servers as by Official representatives.
There is. of course, at the moment no
pronounced feeling in executive quar-
tiers in favor of or against official
representation on the reparations
commission, as there are complica-
tons enough between the executive
and legislative branches of the gov
eminent over the pending four-power
treaty and other pacts. No one would
seek to add to the situation in the
Sc nate.
litical phases of American participa-
ton in foreign questions. the repara-
ton commission is in the main an
economic matter. II it should devel-
op that American aloofness on eco
nomic questions costs the American
taxpayers $241,00O.000 that they
might have had this year instead of
in the indefinite future, the item is
recognized as having political pos
sibilities in it.
Former President Wilson asked for
permission of the Senate to send a
commission to look after American
rights, but was unsuccessful. Since
that time no direct request has been
made by the Harding administration.
though the allies are on record as
having on more than one occasion in
- rntr en- 10
tions discussions as she is entitled to
do under the terms Of the armistice
as well as subsequent treaties.
Reports Not Taken Serfessly.
Officials here are not inclined to
take seriously the press reports that
Europe will ignore Americas claim
for $241.0o0.000. Europe will certainly
not imagine for one minute that
American public opinion will look
with favor on closer cooperation
with a Europe which begs an Ameri-
can Army to stay on the Rhine for
moral effect and advantages to it
and then insists that the United
States has no right to expense money
specifically provided for by the
armistice and the sections of the Yer
satlles treaty accepted when Amer
lea made peace with Germany
To some extent the embarrassment
Of the allies in having a meeting on
tho question of German payments and
being unable because of America
absence to do anything but generally
reserve American rights for future
discussion is felt here as unavoid-
able. America is not trying to accuse
the allies of attempting TO put some
h1rf
put in the claim for $241, 100000 be-
cause Of possibility that American
silence might be misconstrued as in
difference to what happened to the
German fund
Many other questions of an eco
nomlc character will be decided by
the reparations commission. Questions
or tarifs affecting American indus
tries: and while officials will make no
prediction as to whether Congress
Will be asked for the necessary per
mission to join the commission, the
develop out OF it all If the onnosition
party can prove that American aloof-
ness cost the United States money.
Watching Developnents.
For the moment the government is
biding its time and watching deyelop.
ments. but 1t would not be surpris-
ing to see request made of Con-
gress for permission to act more eff
GENTLY in the preservation of Ameri-
can economic rights in Europe.
Having demonstrated already
through the Instructions given Am
bassador Harvey and Ambassador
Herrfck at the meetings of the SUI
, preme council and the council of am
bassadors that the Harding policy of
aloofness from political entangle-
ments can be maintained even while
speaking the American viewpoint on
broad questions of especial interest 10
the United States, there's a feeling
that Congress will not offer as much
objection to joining the reparations
commission today as 1t might have
last autumn, when the Berlin treaty
was drst submitted to the Senate.
Copyright, 192c.)
,x,~ ~rse,M SNrnm MANN 49,