Evening star., 1922-08-27
Former Vice President Of the
United States.

Former Vice President OF the
United States.
~ EFORE the world war Amer
~ leans of all sorts went to
continental Europe with all
sorts Of objects in view.
Some went to study languages. some
to buy real and alleged works OF
art, some to live cheaply and some.
to show how much money they could
spend foolishly. All that mas
changed.
There are few American visitors
who. rejoicing in the glories OF high
protective tariff. are seeking to take
advantage Of the misfortune OF Eu-
rope by buying her products
as cheaply as possible and then work
ing every dodge known to the inge-
nuity OF man to beat the customs duty
but the great majority who go
are bent on studying the politicai
and economic conditions Of the vari-
GUS countries. with a Arm resolve
to tell America all about 1t.
I would not be guilty Of lese mai
este. but am convinced that in these
modern days of democracy when lot
the first time the women OF the woila
are expressing their opinions with
the assurance that they have some
power to enforce them, those IN au
thority may be mistaken as to what
those who created them intended TO
do under certain circumstances:
While in public life ! never claimed
to be a politician, much less
statesman, who Is only politician
grown tired of his job and determln-
ed for once in his life to Say what ne
thinks, regardless Of the effect IL
may have at the time of the next
election. But for many years 1 oo-
served those who controlled the des-
TIMES Of political parties, men VINO
sat around headquarters. idling ana
prophesying what results would oe.
While they were doing this ] was u,
the shops and cafes, on the trains and
in the hotels, listening to what the
men who made the politicians mad 10
say about them. and reaching conciu-
sions very frequently opposite to the
views Of the politicians. I am still
quite assured that. whether In Elu-
rope or America, he who would get a
correct view Of conditions must get
the view of the power behind the
throne. So while in Europe recently
] pursued my American tactics.
did not accept the views OF those
who are or claim to be the guar
dians of the public thought. but
rather sought the opinions OF both
men and women who are doing the
worlds work.
AS Europe was engaged before
the war in the manufacture and
sale of old masters to American
tourists, so now 1t seems to be en-
gagged in the manufacture and sale
of opinions. 1t Is not difficult to
obtain facts, but 1t is extremely
difficult to separate valuable from
immaterial facts. 1t is quite easy
to obtain expressions Of opinions.
but it is very hard to obtain help.
full ones. One hears all sorts OF
views about the treaty of YER
sailles, touching it's justice and IN
Justice, and present conditions in
narts of Europe make of it an
anomaly.
Take, for instance. Austria.
have seen the condition of its peo.
ple. If the treaty was formulated
upon the principle OF the second
commandment. 1t must be denomi-
mated as a success. When one
thinks back to the days when
Maria Theresa was boldly pro-
claimed as the King of the Aus
TRANS, and recalls the description
which Cardinal Rohan. French am
bassador at her court, gave of her
as woman with handkerchief
in one hand ready to wipe the
tears from her eyes as she wept
over the wrongs of Poland. and
with a sword in the other hand
ready to assist in the dismember-
ment of Poland, he is quite con-
WINGED that tho treaty of Ver-
sailles, so far as Austria is con-
cerned, has visited the iniquities
of the fathers upon the children
even unto the third and fourth
generations.
Hero is a small group Of people.
less than seven million in num-
the city of Vienna, SO absolutely
debt-burdened that their outlook
is hopeless They have been re-
fused permission to join the Ger
man government. Switzerland
would not even accept a portion of
their territory. They hate the
Italian government with an undy-
ing hatred They are in debt about
1900 times the total value of all
their real and personal properties.
Their financial system is as unre-
liable as a roulette wheel. The
owner Of a roulette wheel is sure
that now and then he will win, but
tho Austrian banker never knows