Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1922-03-29
EUROPE'S BAD MANNERS
TOWARD YOUR UNCLE SAM
England and France Immensely Bene-
fitted at Expense of This Coun-
try, Lack Gratitude.

The experience America is now ha
ing with the allies relative to beinj
reimbursed in the sum of SAL 100000
for maintaining her troops on th
Rhine affords proof of the wisdom
of her refusing to go to Genoa ant
furnishes additional evidence of th'
necessity of this country remaining
entirely aloof from European affairs
The allies agreed to reimburse thi:
country for maintaining her soldier:
in Germany. This agreement was er
tirely apart from and independent oi
the treaty of Versailles. The allies
now repudiate that agreement and
inSinuate that the United States must
sit in an international economic con-
ference and "dicker" for her money
or agree to recognize the Versailles
treaty if she expects to be paid what
is due her.
This position OF European nations
which compose the allied powers is
getting tritle tiresome and Ameri-
can people are almost at the end OF
their patience.
The British characterization of the
United States as mercenary and grasp
ing simply because this nation asks
to be reimbursed for costs which she
incurred at the particular request Of
the British government and other ma
tions comes in bad grace.
1t is a matter of history that Great
Britain cashed in on the European
war to greater extent than any
other power
AS condition of the armistice, pre-
limianry to peace, she demanded tina,
Germany give up all her navy, which
left Great Britain absolute mistress
of the seas, which has always been
her chief national policy She added
vast territory to her already broad
dominions under the thin disguise of
"mandates.A- - This territory increases
Immensely her resources of oil and
other natural resources and insures
her tremendous income. She also
secured absolute control of the Medi-
terranean, the Dardanelles and the
Black Sea, thing for which she has
plotted and fought for generations.
France obtained the tremendously
rich porvince of Alsace-Lorraine and
valley of the Saar, rich in coal and
mineral deposits. She also obtained
mandates to valuable. territory.
1t has not been dwelt upon much
in this country because the United
States has been disposed to exercise
forbearance, but it is nevertheless
fact that Great Britain charged the
United States rental for all of the
British ships which were used to
transport troops to the front to help
out when England had her back to
the WALL" and the United States paid
the bill without quibbling. France
charged the United States rental for
the lnad used for trenches to house
United States troops which went to
the rescue of the French republic.
Moreover when the United States,
after the war, prepared to return to
this country all sorts OF supplies and
machinery which had been sent to
France with the American forces,
France informed the American govern
ment that if such equipment and sup
plies were removed she would charge
the United States import tariff (Which
she had not hitherto asked on all
goods, and would also charge an eX-
port tariff for their removal, which
would amount to $500, 100000 She also
represented she needed the supplies
to rebuild her devastated territory.
In view of this the United States
Governemnt gave to France supplies
equipmen ut and machinery of all sorts
in the sum of $I,7ooo,ooo,ooo and took
in payment of them Frances notes
for $500, ,ooo,o ,ooo to be paid in ten years
after date.
In other words, the United States
donated to the French government
supplies of all kinds. in
cluding medical, surgical and hospital
supplies to the value of $I,3oo,oooooo.
Instead of living up to her agree
ment to use this material to rebuild
her devastated territory France im-
mediately sold the matrial to jobbers,
who are selling it through Europe to
injury of American trade and have
been reshipping it to this country.
In order to compel Germany to live
up to the terms of the treaty, allied
troops were stationed on German soil.
When congress of the United States
began to talk of ordering the return
Of our troops because America did
not ratify the treaty. England, France
and Belgium all three urged that IL
not be done because it would weaken {
the position OF the allies and encou
age Germany to violate the terms OF