The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-01


 1 far-seeing of all government heads today has reached the conclusion that nothing short of a world con ference, with ths United States par ! ticipating can cope with the disor- l ganizatlon an1 demoraliEation of the l war shattered eastern hemisphere. It has been realized ever since the | United Statcs withdrew from the war settlement by decision not to ratify the treaty of Versailles or to partici- pate in the League of Nations, that peace and order in Europe was de- pendent upon the remnants of the old entente cordiale-Great Britain and France.
 England and France
 But the two nations now have reached a point where only a miracle can prevent an open break between them. Their points of view as to world readjustments are as far apart as the poles. It has been said both in Europe and here In Washington as result of the French blocking of further naval reductions at the Wash ington conference and a complere re. fusal to consider 8 limitation of land armaments that France Is "ruining herself" but 1t Is realized at last that France cannot ruin herself" without bringing modern civilization itself to the very edge of the precipice of com piete disaster
 Great Britain, losing faith in her old ally. France, is looking to the United States for the co-operation France was expected to give. Political leaders frankly are saying that If the cooperation of the English speaking peoples, constituting a balance of power for good in the world, should prove impossible. there is little to be hoped for in the way of world stabili- zation.
 Puts House in Order
 There has been deep significance in Great Britain's recent efforts to put her house completely in order She has been endeavoring to meet the United States with clean hands," At the first prospect of an understand ing with America she has been eager to give up the Anglo Japanese alll- ance which she knew to be worrying tho Washington government and standing in the way of better rela- tions. Conscious of the public senti- ment in the United States, Great Britain has gone far to effect an Irish settlement after more than seven centuries of strife and repres- sion. Little or no attempt has been made to disguise the ultimate pur- pose of these moves
 Great Britain feels that she can find support in the United States for her plans to open anew the markets Of the world and to restore the trading power of Germany. Great Britain looks to the United States for sup port in discouraging the huge stand Ing armies of Europe. some of them m int fr,Ad Il.rt
 iessly poverty stricken, but proud of their new found f-determination. In none of these things will France cooperate with Great Britain.
 Supreme Council
 There is to be another meeting of the allied supreme council during the 1 coming week at Cannes, in France l But Europe already is foredooming this conference to failure. It would | seem that the differences between | France and England are so funda- l mental as to be irreconcilable.
 The Cannes conference, however. Is | significant in one important respect. | Ambassador George Harvey Is to rep | resent the United States. It is the | first allied council meeting he has l attended since the United States rati- | lied the treaty of peace with Germany |
 sASe'Ny 0IQDTdCeS many | clauses of the Versailles pact, among them the rights of America to par- | tfcipate in the separations agree ments between the allies and Ger | many.
 Attending the allied council meet ing In Paris last summer, Ambassa- dor Harvey insisted upon ad- herring strictly to the role of ob- server. He sat in stony silence while the representatives of the allies struggled to reach an understanding. Will he assume or will he be clothed | with greater authority in the coming sessions because of the definite adop. ton by this country of some of the provisions of the treaty of Versailles!
 Cannes Conference
 The European situation, already tense. will be rendered worse by the failure of the Cannes conference France. England, Belgium and Italy all are at loggerheads. Germany is floating in delirium of paper money her printing presses turning out biI