New-York tribune., 1922-08-07
Politics Institute
/ Poor Place for.
1 Propagandist
Membership Composed of
Serious Students Who
Make Fine Audience.
for Sincere Advocate
Reason Is Appealed To
DIR. Dennis Says Foreign
Experts Must Give Aid
in Reconstructing Russia
BY Arthur S. Draper

BY Arthur S. Draper
WTLLIAMSToWN, Mass, Aug. c.
After a week at the Institute of Pol
itics, which is holding its second an
nual session in this delightful spot in
: the Berkshires, one gains certain more
or less definite Impressions regarding
this project of DR.. Harry A. Garfield,
which has been made possible through
the generosity of Bernard M. Baruch.
Some of these impressions may be
worth reporting, as the institute is still
something of an adventure and q
novelty.
Its members are serious students.
Their opportunities for study are far
greater than those of the average
American. The majority of them are
professional people, college teachers,
clergymen, officers in the army and
navy, lawyers, lecturers, to mention
few of the groups represented here.
One and all they are Interested in
some phase of international relations,
and not only interested but many of
them are well enough informed to offer
constructive criticism. Their informa-
tion has been gained through reading
newspapers, periodicals and books on
foreign travel and in some cases
through special work in government
department.
The name Institute of Politics is a
sort of misnomer. l have not heard q
word of domestic politics here, al
though most shades of American polit-
ical opinion can be found. This is a
poor place for the professional prop
agandist The sincere advocate of a
certain policy has fine audience, but
the ordinary propagandist is out OF
place in this country. There are wide
1f IN; h.
jects, but appeals are made to reason
rather than to emotions and to senti-
ment. 1t is a gathering place for seek
ers after truth.
Lectures Interesting
Any one who believes that it is q
wise policy for Americans to study con-
ditions abroad with special reference
to their bearing on the situation at
home will find much to encourage him
here AS each day the dependence
of one nation on another is brought
home the Importance Of investigating
international problems is emphasized.
The lectures have proved interesting.
but it is in the round table discussions
that theory and practicability rub
shoulders. Such timely topics as repa-
rations and the cancellation Of inter
Allied debts, American policy toward
China have brought out fruitful dis
cussions if for no other reason than
that many sides of the questions have
been presented.
The very frankness of the discussion
in the round table on "foreign journal
ism" has been helpful to the practical
newspaper man because it has enlight-
ened him regarding the real attitude OF
American people of this particular
group to the correspondence published
to-day. 1t has also offered him an op-
portunity to present the problem OF
the press to them in a clearer light.
So it is with most Of the subjects
The members of the Williamstown In
stitute are neither radicals nor reac-
tionaries, they are serious minded
Americans anxious to learn all they
can about the internati onal problems
confronting their government and to
be of assistance in finding a solution
for them.
Talks on Russian Policy
DR.. Alfred L. P. Dennis, OF Wash
ington, talked this morning about vari-
Gus angles of American policy toward
Russia and the Baltic States of
Nisthonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which
have just been recognized by the
United States Government. He was
asked what he thought of the sugges-
tion by Raymond Recouly, the Paris
editor, that as "the moral and mate
rial destruction Of Russia has been
SO complete it is impossible to think
of a rapid reconstruction" and sit will
mean more a colonization than re-
construction" DR.. Dennis could not
believe that NJ. Recouly had in mind
the settlement of Russia province by
province but possibly a gradual econo-
mic penetration of the country. The
fact that Russia has lost most Of her
technical experts is beyond dispute, he
said, and there is no question that
foreign experts must take over large
part of the work of reconstruction
which under the best conditions will
take many years to accomplish"
y Not Alarmed by Treaty
"I am not one of those" he said
"who believe that another European
war is near at hand The Russo Ger
man treaty does not alarm me unduly
Germany was q powerful economic
factor in Russia before the war, and
it is only natural that these two coun-
tries should have close economic rela-
tions in the future. After the Genoa
and The Hague conferences l look for
new stage in the Russian negotia-
tions. That further separate agree.
ments between the European countries
and Russia will be made seems in.
evitable. / believe also that syndicates
of bankers will be formed to work in
Russia, and in this respect the Ger
mans have several millions of dollars
outside their country which they could
use. Politically it would be great
mistake for them to adopt such 8
course at the present time when the
whole reparations question is very
much to the fore.
Speaking for myself I think that
we shall move slowly in our dealings
with Russia. The moral question is
an important one in our minds-more
important than it is regarded by some
If the Europeans. 1t is one of the
Strange freaks of fortune that the
states contiguous 10 Russia are now
satisfied to have the Soviet government
stand because they fear change in