The New York herald., 1922-12-29
FRIDAY DECEMBER %, 1922.
Let the Administration Handle 1t.

Let the Administration Handle 1t.
The President and Senator BoRAH
are actuated by the same motive in
respect of the European economic
situation. Senator BoRAH's concern
is no greater than that of the Presi-
dent. Each is deeply disturbed and
each realizes that something deci-
sive must be done to save world
catastrophe.
The difference between the Presi-
dent and Senator BoRAu is one of
method and not OF purpose. Senator
BoRAu holds that the situation calls
for an international economic. confer
ence and ,is undertaking, through
his proposal now before Congress, to
bring pressure on the Administration
to call such conference.
The Presidents position, concern
ing Senator BoRAHs proposal is best
stated in his own words in his letter
to Senator LODGE. He says.
''Oh the face of things. It Is equiva-
lent to saying that the Executive
branch of the Government which is
charged with the conduct of foreign
relations. is not fully alive to a world
situation which is Of deep concern to
the United States. As a nMlter. of
fact, the ESopean situation has been
given most thorough and thoughtful
consideration for many months.
without questioning the good
faith Of the proposal am very sure
It would have been more seemly and
- the action of the Congress could be
taken much more intelllgently if
proper inquiry had been made of the
State Department relative to the
situation in which We are trying to
be helpful"
THE NEw York HERALD stands with
the President in this matter. for
clearly his way is the better way to
handle these pressing foreign prob
lens. With an international confer
ence, made up of many nations, each
striving to serve1ts own selfish inter
ests and to involve America in pay
ing the bills, the conference would get
nowhere. We should have oceans Of
talk and little worth while action.
America does not have to call an
international conference to find out
what its attitude is in respect of the
present deplorable European dead
lock. America knows what it thinks
of all this thing and so does the Ad-
ministration at Washington know
what it thinks of all this thing. II
Europe, or any part of Europe, has
the fancy that the Administration at
Washington does ll.t know what it
thinks OF it, and that the American
people do not know what they think
of it, II is a very much mistaken
opinion.
America, with its stake in Euro
pean peace and economic health,
which is represented by seventy-five
thousand dead soldiers, by two hun
dred and twenty-one thousand
manned and wounded soldiers by an
initial cash outlay in war expendi-
lures of thirty-five billions of dollars,
which will be one hundred billions
of dollars before the last cent is paid,
has the right to demand that common
sense and human wisdom and broad
statesmanship take the place OF Bit
terness and prejudice and unwisdom
in the matter Of reparations that is
now damr1ng the world
The situation in Europe. and par
ticularly in Germany, has so changed
in fact and in outlook since the writ
ing of the Versailles Treaty that that
document. in so far as il pertains TO
reparations. Is now thousand years
out of date.
Then. Immediately following the
war, everything in the belligerent
nations was in a state OF chaos. Re
organization had not begun to func-
tlon. Industry and agriculture and
commerce were paralyzed. Gradually
the allied nations have improved
their condition. while the German
people, their new Government beset
on every side from within and with,
out. and staggering under crushing
indemnity demands that they can
never meet, have come 10 the verge
OF bankruptcy and despair. have be-
come world menace.
This Is entirely new situation
from that which confronted the dele
gates to the Versailles Peace Confer
ence And as q new situation II must