The Washington herald., 1922-02-19

upon her payments under repara-
tions. When she defaults France
will be faced with a specific situaA
ton. M Poincare will have to
choose between the use OF force to
collect what does not exist and
cannot DE collected, and an agree
ment to allow Germany a mora
torium and to consent to such other
action as will in reality amount to
n modification of the reparatiors
portion of the treaty of Versailles.
American official observers believe
that by that time the French peo-
pie will have recognized the real
tiles in the reparation situation.
Must Fnce Facts First.
In the meantime the United
States government. under the fund
ing bill which has recently been
passed and signed, is going to I'M
dertake to collect the allied debt
owed to the United States. And
everyone Knows in adv vance. who is
familiar with the situation at all.
that the American commission is
going to confront the fact that no
one of the continental nations
which owes us large sums or
money is in a position to pay any
thing. But until the experiment is
tried. until the American people is
brought face to face with the fact,
there is not much chance OF accom-
plishinE anything. Therefore, In
Washington there is a general be-
lief that both for the American and
for the French people the newt
~ e..
months will serve as admirable
tio1al conference.
Obviously. when there is another
International conference in which
the United States participates the
chief subject. at least from the
Washington point of view. must be
the question of international in
debtedness. Fresh from their ex-
periences with the Washington
conference, American officials are
eager, as they should be. for a very
rigid restriction of the aGenda of
such a conference. They would like
to see nothing but the question of
debts and reparations discussed.
1t is no breach of confidence TO
say. too, the prevailing opinion in
Washington today is that next
autumn will be a far better time
for an economic conference than
any earlier date. At that time one
may presume that the treaties of
Washington will be out of the way.
and that the Congressional cam
paigns will be terminated. For
obvious reasons American useful
ness in an international conference
would be handicapped by American
political circumstances and might
possibly become an issue in a do
nestle election, precisely as IL
would be Handicapped If American
presence in a European conference
became an issue in the legislative
discussions of domestic affairs.
Land Arms Farley Welcome.
Now, turning to thA~question Of
land ornaments in Europe, which is
of very great interest to the Amer
lean government although it is not
a question in which we have direct
concern, one can say quite frankly
that the Washington OFFICIAL world
would welcome a European confer
ence limited to the discussion of
land ornaments following closely
the lines of the Washington confer
ence, which might dispose Of this
question in advance of an economic
conference, of that economic con-
ference in which the United States
would be represented
As it stands at present Washing
ton does not believe that any dis
armament or Limitation of arma-
ment can take place in Europe I'M
til Russia. which has the largest
and perhaps the most dangerous
army. consents to demobilize her
forces. Such rehabilitation would
at once affect the situation in the
border states, notably Poland and
Rumania. With the Russian army
brought down to plice limits stint .
lar reductions would be possible in
the border states. mis- is\ one
phase.
Again Washington looks with in
terest and approval at the proposals
which have been made for agree
ments extending mutual guarantees
of security not only agreements be-
tween France and Great Britain, but
between all those states which
either participated in the alliance
against Germany or obtained Iiber-
ty as result of the defeat of tho
Central Powers and of the Russian
revolution. 1t is very clearly rec
ognized that in the Pacific the Unit
ed States proceeded to a political
treaty with Japan. Great Britain
and France before IL undertook a
limitation of naval ornaments. Po-
htical security being assured. limi-
tation of ornaments became a SIM
pie matter. Washington recognizes
that the same order of events is
logical in the European situation.
\ Called @Inevitable Prelude
All of which is another way of
saying that in the period during
which the Washington treaties are
being debated and the questions of
reparations and allied debt are be-
ing Illuminated by events which
cannot be misinterpreted, the Amer
lean administration would be glad
to see Europe agree to that mill
tary adjustment. which il regards
as an inevitable prelude to any sane
discussion or solution of the finan-
cfal question. But. however inter-
ested the United States government
may be in such discussions IL be-
lteves that 1t has no real place in
them and 1t is totally unlikely that
II would go beyond sending an OBJ
server and Indicating Its approval
of the purpose
In sum. then, the situation of the
United states Government with re-
spect OF the Genoa conference Is
quite simple Our officials ner-
ceive that on the whole the econ
omic situation of the world Is i'm.
proving. Conditions are very much
better generally speaking than they
were three years ago or two years
ago. The, single grave exception
grows out of the fiscal ldegeRera-