The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-12-28
POLITICIANS
CANNOT FIX
PREPARATIONS
Fear to Lose Favor of
Voters
BY MARK SULLIVAN

me OppOSlliOn W OSHdIOI Doi oil
proposal for an economic conference
springs from variety of points of
view Probably the most reasonable
is that which has come to doubt
whether the German reparations can
ever be fixed by any conference or
other tribunal in which the members
are public men or politicians depend
ent upon the popular vote in their
respective countries.
The politicians of all the countries
concerned know that the reparations
must be fixed, and they all have n
fairly accurate idea of what the
amount must ultimately be. But the
French politicians during the last
four years have built up in the minds
of the people a greatly exaggerated
notion of the sum to be taken from
Germany.
Similarly, the German politicians
know quite well what Germany ul-
timately will have to pay at least
nine or 10 billions. But while the
German politicians know this them
selves, they have given the German
people the idea that the sum can be
reduced to something like five bill
ions.
Politicians Will Hesitate
The result is that the politicians of
those countries will naturally hesitate
to enter conference that may name
a sum which will seem to the deluded
French voters shockingly small and
to the deluded German voters, shock
ingly large. Even if the politicians of
those countries should enter confer
ence, they might be expected to try to
avoid coming to the sort of conclusion
which their people at home would re-
sent They would be fearful of the
effect on their personal political for
tunes.
The public men of Great Britain
probably are in a better position than
the politicians of either of the other
countries to take part in the fixing
of a reasonable and practicable sum
and to get away with it" with their
voters. 1t is quite true that in Great
Britain Lloyd George and many OF he
ether politicians about the time of the
Paris conference kept telling their
people that Germany would be made
to pay an extravagant sum, a sum
great enough to pay, among other
things, the pensions of British sol
diers.
However, in Great Britain, there has
been a change in government, and
Bonar Law can tell the facts about
the sum that Germany can actually
be expected to pay without mourning
so much resentment as Lloyd George
would have suffered from. For that
matter, there has been change in
- {In
Great Britain and British statesmen
probably would have little hesitation
in standing for reducing the German
reparations to a reasonable and prac-
ticable sum.
Reasons for Doubts
It is for these reasons there mas
been some doubt whether true ad-
Indication OF the German reparatlons
can ever be accomplished in con-
ference made up of public men in ac-
tive political life. Also, it is for this
reason that high hopes were enter
tanned for the project initiated by the
business men and chambers of COM
merce of the several countries to fix
the reparations through the joint ac-
tion of the several national chambers
of commerce.
Such a decision would have been
unofficial, of course, but if it were
given to the world as the joint judg-
ment of the business men of the sew
eral countries it would have educated
the peoples of those countries to look
upon the question in new light
After the various chambers of com.
merce should have named a sum and
after the peoples of the various coun.
tries should have become familiar
with this sum, it might then have been
possible for the public men and gov.
crnments of those countries to agree
10 this sum without endangering theiI
own positions.
Beans Are Spilled.
However, before this plan for the
fixing of the reparations by the cham
bers of commerce had got very fal
some one spilled the beans' by {
premature publicity, and that plar
is now off, much to the regret O
many thoughtful persons who believe
that il promised we'll.
Those who oppose Senator Borah's
plan believe that the German repar
ations cannot be fixed at the righ
sum without first going through some
process that will save the face" o
the European governments concern
ed. FROM the American point OF view
ii is also feared that if a conference
is called at our request and upon ou
initiative the other countries may con
clude that we are over anxious for
settlement, and may seek to make VI
pay the price by giving concession!
in the shape of cancelling the debts
que to US and otherwise.
Wants Open Dealing
Senator Borah, on the other hand
believes the best way is to get rid o
all these diplomatic processes of try
ing to save somebody's face anC
throw the whole situation into tn,
open. He believes that in an opeI
conference even if the politicians o
France and of Germany should TAX,
impossible positions, nevertheless thu
real facts would be put forth by tht
Americans and British, and perhap.
some others.
These facts. coming from such /;
sounding board as an internationa
conference, would reach the peoples
of the world and would provide pre-
ciseIy the educational process neces
sary to bring these peoples to lool
with tolerance upon a practicable set
tlement Of the question Copyright
hN- tho Nau- NorI- E'veripo Dos