The Washington times., 1922-09-20
LIB { R A |
GLOOMY AS.
To OFJTURE.
China Most Promising coun-
try, He Declares-Europe a
Hopeless Chaos.
BY CLARA WELD,
Cosmopolitan News Service Staff
Correspondent.

and France must fight sooner or
later. After they have destroyed
each other there will be left only
Scandinavia, Holland, and Switzer-
land as national entities. Russia
has been in chaos since 1917.
Austria is already crushed. Ger
many will soon follow. America
is the only country that can save
Europe from disaster"
This is the unpleasant view
Bertrand Russell, the famous
English philosopher and Liberal,
takes of the present world situa-
ton.
The view was brought forth
when the attention of Russell
was called to a statement made
by Oscar j. Crosby, former AS
sistant Secretary of the United
7 States Treasury, to the effect
that interference by the United
States in European affairs might
lead to something that, after all,
may very well happen, and that
10 a great war against America
by all the European nations COM
bined."
War Alliance Impossible.
Europe make war on America"
said Russell quizzically. ANY one
who can see. a possibility Of Euro
pean nations allying themselves
for any purpose is certainly an
optimist.
THE European nations are pre-
occupied with the old question of
a balance of power. So long as
that question remains, there is no
possibility of the powers acting
together.
War between England and
France Is the immediate concern
Of the powers. Divisions are too
bitter as a result of the past war
to permit either of these countries
concerning themselves anywhere"
After stating his belief that Amer
ica was the "only nation capable of
saving Europe from disaster" Rus
sell said:
az do not think, however. that
she will act until II is too late. All
the powers have acted too late on
vital questions since the war.
Lloyd George might have gone
with Wilson, but seeing perhaps
that America would not support the
Wilson policy. he chose 20 hack
Clemenceau instead. Now he sees
his mistake, but 1t Is too late.
America was ready at that time
TO intervene in European affairs, but
It was too soon. Now / think she
will put II off until 1t is too late"
Russell declared that he considers
the coming centuries will prove one
Of the darkest periods in all history.
''In Austria" he said, literature.
all the arts have died because their
creators are starving. In Germany.
with the mark dropping lower every
day, intellect and art cannot produce.
In Russia there are left to carry on
only peasants and second.rate intel
lectuals. The wonderful Russian cul.
ture Of the past is already dead.
Culture to Be Destroyed.
France and England are concern
ing themselves far more with arma.
ments and preparations for new wars
than with culture. After they have
finished destroying each other, what
culture will there be left in Europe?
Then we will have a dark age
similar to the one that followed the
fall of the Roman empire"
And what" ! asked him then,
twill become of culture in America"
America will creates now in
the process of creating-the new
civilization, the new culture. I am
speaking. Of course, in terms OF CEN
turies, for II takes centuries to build
up a culture.
China Most Promising.
"As a matter of fact" he added,
ct consider China the most prom
Using country. China is already Gre
ating a culture that is modern and
interesting. 1t will be as fine,
think, as the culture of ancient
China, which was one OF the finest
we know"
Coming back to Mr.. Crsoby's
statement, Mr.. Russell declared. no
one can reasonably blame America
for her policy Of aloofness.
THE responsibility for saving or
abandoning European civilization Is
certainly a tremendous one. But
while ] can understand Americas
dlsinclination to act, also see that
in the long run, 1t Is bad business
for America to permit her debtors
and customers to go bankrupt.
America should understand that
as the controlling power in the world,
shf' alone is able TO put on the screws
that will force Europe to deal sanely
with the problems that are wrecking
her, instead of squabbling.
And how" l asked. can Amer.
jJa deal successfully with problems
with which Europe cannot?"
America will have TO enter into a
general conference OF nations. a con.
ference which will first of all recog-
nize all debts, and agree TO cancel n
large part of those debts on condi.
tions funds will no longer go for
arlnaments.
Hoover An Eligible.
'If Americans were not so ignor-
ant Of werld affairs they would do
this. There are certainly plenty OF
Americans 10 sit In such a confer.
ence-men like Mr.. Hoover who
know the situation over, here quite
as well as we do. The question Is
not a one man affair, and mast be
settled by a committee fully author.
lied TO act for the entire American
people"
I asked him II he held TO the
theory that i"natc IN .hc present
economic orI.r is inevitable catR