The Washington herald., 1922-08-13
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

cerity and gravity: The only
country in Europe. which is getting
better Is Russia. Others are get
ting worse" The words took my
breath away for moment be-
cause this man has intimate
knowledge. not only OF the
economic facts of Europe. but also
of the secret forces of interna-
tional politics.
Is there any truth or absolute
truth in what he says? IL so.
Europe must be in a bad way,
indeed. for Improvement in Rus
sia is just the difference between
hunger and starvation or linger-
ing misery and sudden death. OF
course. he did not mean that other
European countries are in the same
state of poverty as Russia. What
he meant was that whereas Rus
sia is just showing signs of re-
newed vitality. however low her
after the wild madness of revolu-
tion. other nations. like France.
Germany. Austria. Italy and Eng
land. are showing signs not of
regeneration but of further decay.
sCcn european bpncaNcts
am bound to say entirely
agree with him. 1t is becoming
clear to many minds in Great
Britain and elsewhere that nothing
can save Europe from very grave
catastrophe including widespread
revolution and new wars during
the next ten or fifteen years, ex-
cept a complete change of interna-
finnal ralafinn ahin ha
acts of the old statesmen now in
power. but upon the uprising and
spiritual regeneration of the
younger generation. Whether that
is going to happen or not Is still
| uncertain. There are no immediate
signs of it. But IL it does not
happen quite soon. there is going
to be a European upheaval which
will shake the world to its founda-
/ tions.
The central fact in this alarm
/ ing state of affairs is the economic
collapse of Germany. .If those
60.000.00O highly organized, in
| dustrious, virile people find them
selves unable to maintain national
life in an orderly way because of
| the downfall Of credit and soaring
prices. the effect of their desperate,
violent reaction will shake the
very pillars of European civiliza-
tion. That is only one aspect of
| the dangers now threatening us
all. Owing to the inability of
/ European statesmen to sink all
national differences in a common
effort to rise above the slough of
despond in which Europe sank
after the war. the financial condi-
| tions of every country including
Great Britain. are steadily growing
worse.
/ Capital is crippled in its enter
! prise. national revenues are eaten
= up by national debt and trade be-
/ tween one country and another is
made difficult and dangerous owing
to the unstable state of exchanges.
| There is actually dry rot in the
human energy of Europe and civil
ization as shown by the figures un-
employment in England. disastrous
| because ii is a waste Of living ma
/ terial which could be converted into
the fruits of toll. Suspicion, anger
| and i'll temper are aroused between
one nation and another. each of
| whom accuses the other with being
the chief cause of it's burdens, fam
ming up smouldering fires which
one day may leap into flames.
Nervous Over Future.
! I'VE do not want any more war"
| said a German the other day, then
added grimly: except one" There
is no need to mention the nation
which was to be the exception to
that pacihst philosophy. France
does not want any more war. being
convinced of its irrevocable costs
But she is not going to take chances.
She is fully aware of that German
exception. So she is training black
legions in North Africa, maintaining
a great military machine. building
strong fleets of submarines. crowding
thu sky with aeroplanes. England,
very close to the coast of France. d:
not absolutely certain of French
friendship, forever and ever, in spite
| Of common sacrifices; she is nervous
of those submarines and aeroplanes
and the British government unwill-
ingly and under immense pressure of
public uneasiness. promised to increase
her air feet to 500 planes against the
French 1000. OF course, we cannot
afford it. France can afford 1t still
less, because of her enormous debt
to England and the German fail
ure to pay.
What sense is there in all this -?
What security for peace? What
chance for recuperation from wars and
ruin? Yet without some miraculous
change in human nature and interna-
ton policy 1t is inevitable. Balfour's s
famous note threw a fierce white light
on the vicious circle in which Eu-
Hrope is coiled in those strangling coils
of international debt. After all the
violence. comment and argument
which it engendered what Is to emerge
is a plain. inescapable fact 1t is
this: Britain will pay the United States
fs00. 000 900. whatever the burden may
mean to her people. but she cannot
let France off some proportion at
least of that enormous sum OF
$4,000. 900 owed Great Britain
of which France owes $4,000, 900,
900. So to pay England, France
must squeeze Germany by themb-
screw and rack, knowing all the
time it will only produce an in
significant share in Germany's real
Indebtedness. So the process OF
Europe's decay must go on to ex-
asperation and lead to despera-
tion.
Seek solution to Problem.
In conversations between Poincare
and Lloyd George they endeavored
| to find a way out of this tangle
There is no way out except a complete
/ shout of intarollia1 Aahts Snolnl