The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-18
Foreign Comment
Special Dispatches to The Argus from
Paris bureau of The Consolidated Press,
10 re de l'Elysee.
Smallest Nation Doing Most for
Reconstruction.

1
Reconstruction.
Paris March I'm. Benes, the CZecho-
Slovakia premier, is given credit in the Oeuvre
! OF this city for having accomplished more than
any other European statesman toward recon-
struction. Not only has he put his own little
country on the road to normal peace conditions,
| but he has done much to aid the recovery OF
neighboring states, notably Austria The Oeuvre
says:
! "At time when everybody is talking about
demonstrating Europe here is man who has
begun to put words into deeds in his little cor
ner of Europe.
Among the three powers which form the
little entente, Romania, Jugo-Slayia, Czecho-
Slovakia. the latter is by far the smallest and
the most thinly populated. M. Benes, who is
son why she should play the smallest part.
Already united to Romania and Jugo-Slavia
she has just become united with Poland her
enemy of yesterday. by commercial and aft
erwards by political treaty.
Having thus put the peace of Eastern Eu-
rope on solid foundation he has not hesitated
to try to save fifth nation, one which for many
centuries oppressed his country, viz, Austria.
at will be remembered that the financial
conference at Brussels has drawn up a plan
for the reconstruction. of Austria but this plan
demanded first of all that all the powers which
were creditors of Austria should grant her 20
years propagation of her credit. AS America
would not sign this condition the plan of the
Brussels conference was suspended. Now NJ.
BeneS' government mas undertaken Wnat the
world dared not risk: he has opened credit
for the Austrian republic of 900 Czech
crowns, which represents no less than 100000
900 Austrian crowns. And Vienna, whose
only hope was in Berlin, now begins to look to-
wards Prague.
AT the same time that NJ. Benes was carry
ing on this bold foreign policy he was reorgan-
iZing economically and financially his own
country, balancing its budget developing its in
dustry, which exports now 40 per cent of its
total production, and ameliorating its exchange.
"a few weeks ago 120 Czech crowns were
worth 100 marks; today 100 marks can be
bought for 25 crowns. AS the prices fell in pro-
portion to the amelioration of the exchange NJ.
Benes has made the workmen accept CORES
ponding cutting down of their wages; although
this did not come to pass without strikes and
protestations, the economic equilibrium is re-
established, the people have understood, and
order is reestablshed everywhere.
AT time when all European nations are
threatened with bankruptcy, there is one single
nation which is recovering. which is being
constructed and which even already stretches
out helping hand to her neighbors, and this
is zecho-Slovakia.
1T will be easily understood" continues the
writer, with what enthusiasm a country like
this received invitation to the Genoa confer
ence. At committee of experts of the
little entente held meeting at Prague, then
NJ Benes came to Paris and London, before re-
turning to Belgrade, where he will make def
mite arrangement with his allies.
For NJ Benes, who is the head of the gov
speak in the name of his own nation alone;
but he will speak in the name of a community
of peoples, if l may call it so, which include no
less than 60,000,000 people. This is good rea
son for making oneself heard.
IN. Benes' opponents say that he was the
first to send a mission to the soviet republic,
and consequently he is suspicious; but a mis-
sion is not official delegation.
If the eye of Moscow is u.s. he said jok-
ingly, L like to have my eye also on Moscow
There are things he added, that you dare
not do when you are watched The 'Tcheca,'
the Russian terrorist organization, VIII dlSap-
pear as soon it feels itself watched. Besides
which, the best way of giving the moujiks the
taste of liberty is to show them free on
their own soil; they will soon begin to compare
the fate of these men with their own, and this
will be propa Uganda. Let us begin to know
Russia by resuming commercial relations with
her. We must only take care not to give her
all our arms
"In speaking of Germany NJ Benes consid-
ers it a mistake to think that German markets
are closed to England because Germany is
ruined by French claims, but that rather the
cause lies in the low value of the mark and
that although Germany appears to be prosper
GUS it is because she is selling at very low
prices all the products of her soil of her in
dustry but she is unable to replenish her stocks
of raw materials SO that sooner or later there
must be an industrial crisis, unemployment
and bankruptcy.
THE essential thing then is to restore to
the mark its former purchasing power by first
of all granting a moratorium and then exact |
ing more effective economic and financial meth |
DDS that is to say, to oblige SHINES and his
like to contribute to public contributions in |
stead OF letting them grow rich from the public |
misery. The characterization of Germany is |
the first condition of its salvation and of that of
Europe
Before Lloyd George, the man of sensa- |
tional gests, before NJ Poincare, the man of doc
uments and etiquets before Italy with her con-
and in front of American aloofness a
man appears who has European mind, the !
a. ont and haiti hon,
all that, program.
at is true he comes from some distance"
NJ. Jouyenel, but he deserves not to
be passed over"
From SWineherd to Dictator.