The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-08-20
Slim Hope Of Saving Europe
From Disaster, Says GibA4
Declares Britain Could Help by Reversing Nh
four Note and by Wipins Out Debt
Owed by France. UiiZ
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.


By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.
LONDON. Aug. 1.-THE condition
Of Europe 10 getting steadily worse.
What win be the, end. I. for one,
do not care to prophecy, except TO
say ! see q hair-breadth chance Of
escape from financial disaster and
social upheavai over the entire con-
tinent. That chance. hanging from
such q slender thread. depends on
the conversion Of the European
statesmen by the people At the
eleventh hour TO q new gospel Of
idealism and heroic renunciation Of
seh-interest.
II Is a very poor chance II Il is
limited to the statssmen. u 10 .
slightly better chance. but not
much. IL peoples have any say In
the matter Of their own destiny and
doom. yanderlip said the other day
that history is made by people not
by peoples. That was in references
to q convsrsation about TO begin
between Lloyd George and Poin-
care with the Belgian. italian and
japanese ministers taking sides
with one another.
Sees DueI Of Inteiiects-
It is to me an APPALLING fate that
q nations very life. hundreds Of
millions of common folk, should be
at the mercy OF two obstinate and
not supremely wise politicians like
Lloyd George and Poincare. For
that Is what II amounted to. That
Downing Street conference which
tas just taken place with the most
alarming results was really an in
teliectual duel between those ready
politicians with q number of imam
vide the chiefs with ammunition for
argument.
Even IL they were two Of the
noblest, largest-hearted men In the
world IL would be an overpowering
responsibility greater than any two
men should bear. For their argu-
ment was to decide future civiliza-
ton in Europe, hold the balance be-
tween future peace and future war,
condemn or reprieve sixty million
people in Germany, hundreds OF
millions Of people dependent for
their health on Germany to econo-
mis- life Of economic death
Human Welfare At Stake.
Upon the good temper or bad
temper of those two men, upon
their wisdom or lack OF wisdom.
depends actually the value of the
wages that will be received this
winter by the miners of westphalia,
by the seamstress Of Berlin. the
typists In German ofices. TO say
- ~ Ann1nv-
ment for workless men in London.
II Poincare had won the argument
by some weakness in Lloyd George.
and his penalties were extracted
against Germany. i am convinced
that international trade would have
collapsed. and both France and
Germany would have plunged down
the steep slopes OF ruin.
1t may happen yet. II Lloyd
George had lost his temper and
broken with Poincare and France
beyond any kind of compromise,
then again there would be no hope
In Europe for reconstruction but q
new grouping Of nations in deadly
rivalry repudiating debts OF honor
and pledges OF peace.
Anxiety in Britain
I can hardly convey to my read
ers across the Atlantic the strained
emotion with which great numbers
OF British people waited the news
which reported the uncertain pro-
gress Of that conversation between
the premiers Of France and Eng
land. One evening IL was reported
that Lloyd George agreed to the four
main proposals of Poincare infict-
ing new and severe penalties against
Germany which would put a
stranglehold upon her Import ano
export trade. her mines and forests
There wasn't a businessman / met
who did not draw in his breath and
say, We'll. that's an end to Ger
many. an end to Europe"
Though English business men
have no cause for tenderness to-
wards the Germans. and believe they
should pay for more than they
have done to repair the damage
they did. II Is now beyond argument
to this class Of man in England
that such measures as those pro-
posed by Poincare would not only
fail TO produce German wealth bu,
would render Il impossible for Ger
many to pay any debts or buy any
goods which We wish to sell.
Blunders on Both sides.
While Lloyd George and Poincare
talked the German mark zigzaggei
and jumped in a fever-stricken wcy
and following a false report tia;
an agreement had been made there
was a steep rush downward. Now,
as have said. conversation between
those two men woull have been
fruitful in its responsibility even
II they were the wisest men on
earth. but 1t IL clear TO many OF
US that they started the talk by
stupendous plumbers on both sides.
On Lloyd Georges was the blum
der Of the Balfour note, which bids
fair to be one of the most fatal