The New York herald., 1922-08-20
SIR PHILIP GIBBS
SEES FOR EUROPE
ONLY ONE COURSE
COmmends Lloyd Georges
Offer to Waive Claims to
German Indemnities.
FRANCE SHOULD HELP
That Would Be Big Thing
to Do, but Writer Doubts
1t Will Be Done.
| FEARS YEARS OF MISERY
Only England Stands, Strong
and Stubborn, Against Buff
fetings Of Fate.
FEARS YEARS OF MISERY
By Sir PHILIP GIBBS.


LONDON, Aug. 1s.-The condition of
Europe is getting steadily worse.
What will be the end I, for one, do
not care to prophesy, except to say
that / see only a harbreadth chance
of escape from financial disaster and
social upheaval over the entire con-
tinent. That chance hanging from
such slender thread, depends on the
conversion of the European statesmen
by the people at the eleventh hour to
new gospel of idealism and heroic
remuneration of self-interest.
1t is very poor chance if 1t is linn
tied to the statesmen. 1t is a slightly
better chance, but' not much, u peo-
Piles have any say in the matter of
their own destiny and DOOM Wander
lip said the other day that history is
made by people. not by peoples. That
was in reference to a conversation
about to begin between Lloyd Georee
and Poincare with the Belgian, Italian
and Japanese Ministers taking sides
with one or the other.
1t is to me an appalling fate that, a
nations very life-hundreds of mil
lions Of common folk-should be at
the mercy of two obstinate and not
unsupremely wise politicians like
Lloyd George and Poincare. For that
is what it amounted TO. That Down
ing street conference which has just
taken place with the most alarming
results was really an intellectual duel
between those ready politicians with
a number of financial experts in at
tendance to provide the chiefs with
ammunition for argument
Even If they were two of the
noblest, largest hearted men in toe
world IL would be an overpowering re-
sponsibility greater than any two nlen
should bear. For their argument was
to decide future civilization In Europe.
hold the balance between future peace
and future war, condemn or reprfove
sixty million people in Germany, hum
dreds of millions of people dependent
for their health on Germany. to eco
nomic life or economic death. Upon
the good temper or bad temper OF
those two men. upon their wisdom or
lack of wisdom. depends actually the
value of the wages that will be re-
ceived this winter by the miners of
Westphalia, by the seamstresses OF
Berlin, the typists in German Offices
to say nothing of the chance OF EN-
ployment for workless men in LONDON
If poincare had won the argument
by some weakness In Lloyd George.
and his penalties were exacted against
Germany, ] am convinced that inter-
national trade would have cola psed.
and both France and Germany would
have plunged down the steep slopes
of ruin.
World Not Yet Safe
From Financial Smash
II may happen yet. II Lloyd George
had lost his temper and broken with
Poincare and France beyond any kind
OF compromise, then again there would
be no hope in Europe for reconstruc-
ton. but new grouping OF nations In
deadly rivalry repudiating debts OF
honor and pledges OF peace.
L can hardly convey to my readers
across the Atlantic the strained emo
ton with which great numbers Of
British people waited the news which
reported the uncertain progress Of
that conversation between the Pre-
miers of France and England. One
evening II was reported that Lloyd
George agreed to the four main pro-
posals of Poincare infiicting new and
severe penalties against Germany
which would put stranglehold upon
her import and export trade, her mines
orltf hue
man | met who did not draw in his
breath and say, well, that's an end
to Germany. an end TO Europe"
For though English business men
have no cause for tenderness toward
the Germans. and believe they should
pay far more than they have done to
repair the damage they did, lis now
beyond argument TO this class OF
men in England that such measures
as those proposed by Poincare would
not only fail TO produce German wealth
but would render IL impossible for
Germany to pay any debts or buy any
goods which we wish to sell While
Lloyd George and Poincare talked the
German zigza gged and jumped in n
fever stricken way. and following
false report that an agreement had
been made there was a steep rush
downward
Now, as | have said, conversation
between those two men would have
been fruitful In its responsibility even
If they were the wisest men on earth,
but II is clear to many OF US now that
they started the talk by stupendous
blunders on both sides. On Lloyd |
Georges was the blunder OF the Bal
four note which bids fair to be one OF |
the most fatal documents in history.
On the other side was the blunder
or the French plan to make Germany
pay. which is so childish in arithmetic !
that IL was turned down by a four TO
one majority by experts as hopelessly
None of Poincare's pro-
posals would result in German gold
reaching French pockets, but would |
create stagnation in German Industry
and wipe u out as q symbol Of ex-
change. Lloyd George. Of course still
less Bslfoui. was not personally re-
sponsible for the Balfour note. II was
Issued by cCatdnot~ a. a.wsxning ,tol