The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-09-07
From, Bad To Worse

Bronner, London correspondent of the
Kenosha Evening News, to Colonel
f. M. House. Colonel House is an
American who ought to know a great
deal about foreign affairs; as conf
Dental advisor of President Wilson, he
made repeated trips through Europe
during the war, talking with men who
were making history; he was Wilson'S
right-hand man at the peace confer
ence; and he has renewed his acquant-
ance with Europe several times since
the war.
Now Colonel House is on his way
home after a summer spent in study
ing world problems over there. In his
interview with Bronner he gives the
judgment Of his studies:
+ BY Milton Bronner.
London Europe is in a worse con-
dition now than it was last year"
That is the judgment of Colonel E
M. House, onetime unofficial ambassa-
dor to Europe. He has made an all
summer study of what he terms "a
very sick patient"
"And there is no sure cure, no pana-
cea, no patent cure-all," he said.
The blame, he says rests largely on
Americas policy of aloofness.
at is not very easy to be- optimistic
about sick Europe's condition." said
Colonel House in an interview with
EEA Service, when one considers the
chaos of Russia, the hopeless despair
of Austria, the collapse of the German
mark, and the apparent drifting apart
of France and England over German
reparation payments.
frances position is understandable
More than any other nation, she needs
two things-cash and safety. Vast
sums are needed to repair war damage
to territory, which she alone has had
to endure.
"And France alone looks across an
imaginary boundary line, face to face
with Germany she fears; with her
ever-growing population, her industri-
Gus workmen, her factories and farms
intact. France fears a Germany bent
on war for revenge.
"Things would have been different
for France, for Germany and for the
world at large if the United States and
Britain had honored the signatures of
their representatives. France would
have been free from fears If these two
nations had signed the pact guarantee
ing her from German aggression. She
would have been in a different frame
of mind about German reparations
AS it is, she feels that she cannot re-
duce the size of her army, expensive as
it is"
Colonel House declared that Ger
manys most statesmanlike and most
far-sighted men of affairs told him last
year how much they regretted that
America and England did not sign the
pact to protect France.
"These Germans felt that such q
pact would have eased the situation
between Germany and France" he said
"that it would have led to a quicker
restoration of Europe"
Germany, in Colonel Houses opin-
ion, lost her strongest man in the as
sination of Walter Rathenau.
In discussing the proposed cancella-
ton of interallied debts he said:
"That all goes back to the Versailles
peace conference. If we had given
France the guarantees she wanted, it is
possible that some plan could have
been worked out at Versailles which
country. Among other things, it would
and yet would not have crippled any
would have helped to stabilize finances
have been possible to work out sum
that Germany could pay and that in all
justice she should pay"
Colonel House would make no pre-
diction about the League of Nations.
Americas ultimate course, he said,
will be problem of the next few
years.
"But there is one sure thing" he
added. Eve cant have it both ways.
If we turn our back upon Europe and
the. league, we then have no right to
complain if, as result of the unset
tied conditions in Europe, we find our
trade crippled and many, of our people
out of work.
"In some fashion America sooner or
later will have to help to restore the
world. The war made it inevitable
that, after it was ended, there would be
only two great powers, as against
about eight before the war. These two
are America and Britain. Britain can
not bring about order in the world
single-handed. America and Britain,
working together, can do so.
Europe is worse off today than it
was year ago.
"There is no sure cure for it's illness.