The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-03-15
AmeriicaMay
Be Forced to
Membership
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright by The 1nteltgonosr)


Washington. March, t.-The United
: Slates government; may find itsct COM
el!ed by circumstances 10 become an
.'ficial member OF the separations COM
.rlss!oa.
The fact tha:. Under the present state
= affairs European governments can
:et together and dispose OF Germanys
sscts without regard to the rights or
aims OF the United States IS giving
.'nce7u in official quarters. Up 10 now.
merica has been able to dritt along
.th an unofficial observer. y. ". Boy
ion. who has been presenting the views
's the United States carefully and dis
-eetly.
Congress alone can give tho eSccu-
We permission 10 send representative
D participate officially IN tho discus
:ons and actions oc the reparations
ommlSSion. This correspondent can
tate positively that the American gov
-rnment IN presenting It's claim for
,2+l 100000 OF the German repara lions
,aynents 10 go toward Tie expenses ot
he American army OF occupation did
.ot have in mind one way or the other
ne question Of membership on the repa-
.ttions commission. No pNrconceived
Ian has been adopted which seeks 20
..emonStratc that America had better be
member Of the rcparat!nns commits
ion. Tho government Is really drifting
,onE letting developments speak for
lsmSCiveS.
on oho occasion not .ong ago Prcs!-
:ent Harding publicly expressed his re-
.ret that the Ua!tcd States was not
,rfcially represented on the rcpa parattons
commission because It might have
OiCc IN tho controversy over German
yes.
Entitled to Membership
The claim for expenses OF TIC army
80: occupation is = second development.
n tho absence OF President Harding,
,rrcGals here cannot very we'll say
whether the executive would agree 10
sk congress It's views on American
membership on the rcparatiorS commits
on. Certainly - joint resolution would
ave to DO adopted before the executive
'yould ba free 10 act. The reparaticnS
.nunissiou OF course has nothing TO
% with the league OF nations. II Is
cparate and distinct institution. II
vas created by the Versailles treaty and
when the United States made a separate
,eace with Germany. the Identical
fauses OF the Versailles treaty which
.rly and made a part OF the American
;erman treaty. SO the United States
= entitled 10 membership n tTs COM
,i!S.iop whenever x wishes 10 exercise
he rlSht The senate. however. utter
rosed a reservation that the consent OF
-onEreSs must 30 secured before 4 rep
-sseratiye IS sent 20 any International
commission under the treaty. This ac-
.3on has beer referred 10 by President
-lardtrs as "ce!rg his hands" but It
as been acce pted as the best that could
10 done with congress under the circum-
stances.
Cannot BE ssfsguarded
Now, however. developments are com
1g 10 the surface which indicate that
Nnerican rights cannot a. we'll be sato-
Guarded BY unofficial ooscri ers as BY
ofricial representatives. There IS, or
CURSE at tho moment no pronounced
ceiling In executive quarters In faNoc
,c or against official representation on
10 reparationS commission. as there are
complications enough between the eN-
.cutlyo and legislative branches OF the
government over tho pending four power
'-eaty and other pacts. No one would
eek 10 add to tho situation IN the SEN
tie.
SSl VRlae CS9 - oCOaSsNS fS''-
cal phases OF American participation
foreign questions, the reparation
ommission IS n the main an economic
natter. II Z should develop that AM
>-ican alootness on economic questions
.osr tho American taxpayers S24l,v0o.-
100 that they might have had this year
instead OF In the indefinite future. Se
een Is recognized as having poiitica.
possibilities In II.
Former President Wilson asked to-
oe-rulssion OF the senate to send rep
-eseutatIve to the rcparat!ons commits
SION 70 look after American rights but
vas unsuccessful. Since that time no
I!rect request has been made b. the
Harding administration though the a.
e. arr on record AS having on moro
nan one occasion Invited America 10
DIN n the rcparatIons discussions as
she IS entitled TO do under the terms o.
(conttnusd on Page Tourteer)