The Washington times., 1922-10-22


everybody else has a selfish axe to
| grind: but, II we owe a duty to
civilization, we want to pay 1t just
as we feel the more practical debts
which Europe owes US should be
paid IL they are right and 1t Is
| possible to~pay them.
We are q little bewildered between
the advice Of the conservative who
counsels leaving Europe to it's fate
and demanding payment in full Of
all debts due us, and the urging of
the tdealist who suggests that we
! cancel all claim to the repayment OF
war loans and that 1t be our duty
| to abandon our century old policy of
minding our own business and at.
tempt to solve the inter.racial prob
lens which for generations the world
has found unsolvable.
If we could only know what is the
right and sensible thing to do we
would try to do 1t.
| We have watohed with interest
one conference Of politicians follow
another with no apparent result ex'
cept the exhaustion Of several un.
abridged dictionaries in various han.
guages. f..-. .,,-
The troubles Of the world are plain
business troubles and must be tackled
sooner or later by business men.
We believe over here that II a thing
has TO be done. sooner Is better than
later to do it-but how shall we be-
gin and where:
Our ProbIems.
There are certain things which
scme people try to bring into a dis
cussion OF worlds affairs which we
won't talk about except here at home
among our own people. for We think
they are our own business and no.
body elSe's.
1t may be We are wrong about our
tariff. ship subsidy and other domes.
tic problems, but. II we are, it is our
funeral. and, after all, the other
nations have said we were wrong
about such matters before and we
have stumbled along fairly well.
! thank you.
| We hold those problems Of ours
and we do not wish to discuss them
! with other nations unless we invite
| the discussions.
We also believe the problems Of
! Europe belong TO the people Of
Europe first. We are willing to
admit that the time may come some
day when the problems Of the world
win be everyOne's business, but II
has not come yet. -,
L. 8. a Good Place.
| We watch everybody pulling
everybody else's hair over there, and
we conclude the good old L. 8. A.
is Il pretty good place in spite OF
our own home troubles.
We would like to go on in our own
way, pay our bills, develop our coun.
| try and collect what is due us-but
can we?
We have not detected any over.
wl,eIming desire ON anybody's part
/ 10 pay us the money our Govern.
ment borrowed from our own tax.
| payers 10 lend abroad.
We are sorry the other fellows
have tax collectors. but we have a
few Of our own, and we believe that
! the debt due us should be paid
unless there IL a good, honest reason
why II should not or cannot be done.
We are ready to listen to sound
reasoning, but dislike noble gestures
and glrttering generalities.
| As to affairs strictly European
If Europe wants our advice ana
counsel we are willing to be good
fellows and sit in with such of
them as play the game according
to our standards, providing ii is
! distinctly understood we are only
| friendly advisers and their trou.
bles are not to be loaded onto our
own already tired backs.
Ready to Help.
! If we are" wanted on this basis
we arc ready to help, and We be.
iieve 1t is time to quit fooling aud
| get business men on the job 10
solve business problems.
Our point of view Is generally
disinterested. We believe Germany
started the trouble and should pay
for the damage she caused up to
reasonable limits We have never
found much came out Of com.
pletely busting d debtor.
We have found . debt a better
asset II we kept the debtor going.
On the other hand, we do not
want 10 be fooled by the debtor.
In the case Of Germany we know
her industry was untouched by the
war, and while her machinery OF
foreign trade and shipping was
must be substantial power to pay
large sums. II the machine can be
tinkered up and the water taken
out Of the gas. Just here one OF
the chief troubles seems to be
there is too much water In the gas.
Germany cannot develop any eco
nomic speed on printing.press
money. These are all business
problems and can best be solved
by men accustomed to deal with
such problems-but back Of II nTl
is the cold fact that when solu.
ton has been found II can only be
put into effect by the various gov
ernments. q,
World Al Work
The fact seems to be that the
people Of the world are at work or
want TO 20 TO work. They are get.
ting over their war spree, but the m.
tional Governments still have q
headache.
The Governments have chased
each other around In circles and
played the old game Of international
poker with little behind the chips.
| What is needed Ia a business leader.
| ship Of the people to prepare for the
4 Governments O sane basis for the
future. when such basis is deter.
| mined popular sentiment will sup
port its application.
How can this be brought about!