New-York tribune., 1922-12-30


eur army IN Europe at the request
Of the Allies and Of Germany and
under an agreement that its cost
with like army costs should be .
first charge upon the amounts paid
By Germany. Others have been paid
ard We have not been paid.
But we are not seeking general
feparations. We are bearing our
own burden and through our loans
large part Of Europs's befden IN
addition. No demands Of ours stand
IN the way Of a proper settlement
of The reparstion question.
or course we hold the obligations
of European governments and there
has been much discussion abroad and
here with respect 70 them. There has
been = persistent attempt ever tinee
the Arnaisties 70 link up the debts
owing 10 our government with repsr-
atoms or with projects Of eaneella'
tion. This attempt was resisted IN
determined manner under the for
uer Administration and under the
present Administration. The matter
Il plain enough from our standpoint
The capacity Of Germany 20 pay -
not klf affected BY any indebted
ness Of any % the Allies 20 ut. That
indebtedneSs does not diminish Ger.
uany's capacity, and its removal
would not increase her capacity
For example, II France had been abs
70 finance her part in the war with
out borrowing At all from ut, that is'
by taxation and internal loans, the
problem Of what Germany eeuld pay
would be exactly the same. More
over. 40 far - the debtors 20 the
United States are concerned, they
have unsettled credit balances, and
their condition and capacity 70 pay
cannot be properly determined until
the amount that can be realized on
these credits for repGrstions hiss been
determined.
Debts Not President's Concern
The Administration must also con
sider the difheulty arising from the
fact that the question Of these obll-
cations which We hold and what shall
be done with them Is not a question
within the province Of the Executive.
Not only may Congress deal with
public properly Of this sort, but "
has dealt with a. 10 has created
commission, and instead OF giving
that commission broad powers such
as the Administration proposed,
which, quite apart from cancellation,
might permit A sound discretion 20
be exercised in aeeordanee with the
facts ELECTED, Congress has placed
definite restrictions upon the power
a. H. L.
the refunding Of these debts.
But what IL our attitude toward
the question Of reparstions. standing
as IL does ~ distinct question and
"a one which cannot be settled un-
less the European governments con
eernsd are able 20 agree7
We have no desire 70 see Germany
relieved OF her responsibility for the
war or Of her lust Obligations 20 make
reparation for the injuries due 20 her
aggression. There is not the slight
est desire that France shall lose any
part Of her Just claims On the other
hand, we DO not wish 20 see a pros
trate Germany. There can be no eco
nomic reeuperation in Europe unless
Germany recuperates. There will be
no permanent peace unless economic
sstisfactions are enjoyed. There
must be hope, and industry must
have promise Of reward II there Ia 70
be prosperity. We should view with
disfnYor measures which instead OF
producing separations would threaten
disaster.
No Uninvited Arbitration
Some Of our own people have suR-
gested that the United states should
assume the role Of arbiteT. There
is one sufficient answer TO this sug-
gestion, and that 10 that we have
not been asked 20 assume the role
OF Arbiter. There could be no such
srbitrament unless IL were invited,
and Il would be an extraordlnsry
and unprecedented thing for Us 70
ask for such an invitation.
I DO not think that we should en-
deavor 20 take such a burden Of
responsibility. We have quite enough
20 bear without drawing 10 ourselves
all the ill feeling which would result
from disappointed hopes and a settle
ment which was viewed az forced
upon nations by this country, which
~ Nne same Ime " otmhnuluh Nht
payment Of its debts.
But the situation does call for a
settlement upon its merits. The
frat condition Of a satisfactory set
element is that the question should
be taken out Of politics. Statesmen
have their dlfhculuet, their public
opinion, the exiRsneies which they
must face. IL IL devoutly 10 be
hoped that they Will effect a settle
ment among themselves, and that the
coming meeting AZ Paris will End a
solution. But II Il does not. what
should be dohef The alternative Of
forcihle measures 70 obtain repara-
tions is not an attractive one. No
one can foretell tho extent Of the
serious consequences which might
ensue from such q course. Apart
from political results / believe that
the opinion Of experts IL that such
measures will not produce repars-
tion payments but might tend 70
destroy the basis OF those payments
which must be found in economic
rseupsrStion.
Must Disregard Sentiment
II. however, Statesmen cannot
sgree and such an alternative is
faced, what can be donei L. there
not another way outi The funda.
ntntal condition 10 that In this eriti.
cal moment the merits of the
question, a. an economic one, must
alone be regarded. Sentiment, how
ever natural, must be disregarded; I;
mutual reeriminations are Of no
avail; reviews Of the past, whether
accurate or Inaccurate, promise moth.
ing; assertions Of blame on the one
hand and excuses on the other come
70 naught.
There ought 10 be q way for states
men 10 agree upon what Germany
can pay, for no matter what claims
may be made against her, that il the
limit Of satisfaction. There ought %
be q way 70 determine that limit and
TO provide a financial plan By which
immediate results can be obtained
and the European nations can feel
that the foundation has been laid
for their mutual and earnest en-
doavors 70 bring about the utmost