The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-09-10
Conference
MayReduce
Allied Debt.
Possibility of Financial Meet
ing at Washington, TO Help
Europe on Its Feet,
Growing.
Despair Of Collecting
By GEORGE F. AUTHIER.
Washington Correspondent Omaha bee.

Washington, Sept. 9.-There is in.
creasing possibility that the Harding
administration will eventually call a
financial conference in Washington
10 consider the financial situation in
Europe. The, recent White House
statement, that President Harding
has it in mind TO aid Europe in re-
establishing itself, but that the time
is not ripe, shows this. The pros
pect of calling such conference
here sends shivers up the backs OF
some people in Washington, because
il is regarded as the first step in
sealing down the allied indebtedness
which governmental leaders arc be-
ginning to despair OF ever collecting.
Europe to Confer.
The presidents public suggestion
is believed to have been commune
Gated in more concrete form to the
European chancellories through our
ambassadors and is supposed to be
responsible for the suggestion made
by Premier Poincare OF France for
a European conference to be held in
Brussels in October. This confer
cnce will not include the United
States, but will be preliminary so
that Europe can agree on some sort
OF financial program which will make
it possible for the United States TO
participate later. The American gov
ernment refrained from participation
in the Genoa conference and in that
at The Hauge because it was clear
enough that these conferences were
more political than financial and the
Harding administration. under the
careful guidance OF the country's
foreign policy by Secretary Hughes
does not propose TO be beguiled into
mixing in Europe's militaristic poll
tics or become embroled in Euro
pean riyalries.
Premier Poincare OF France, with
in the last few days has indicated
tendency to be little less drastic
IN dealing with Germany and ap-
parently, is beginning to realize that
blood cannot be drawn from a tur-
nip, as a member OF President Hard
ing's cabinet has expressed it. What
he is aiming at is to have scaling
down of German reparations made a
part of the foreign debt which
France owes to this country and to
England
Washington Willing to Yield.
At Washington there are evi-
dences. also, of willingness to yield
to this form of reasoning. The
American attitude is not wholly al
truistic. America has become
creditor nation, which means she
must find a market for her goods in
foreign countries. She has built a
merchant marine and proposes to
subsidize it. 1t avails little to have
goods TO sell if there is no market
for them and merchant marine is
the fifth wheel OF the wagon without
goods to carry, Europe appears un-
able to get on its feet. America may
have to come to the rescue, finally,
not only as a contribution to civiliza-
tion, but as means OF solidifying its
own return TO prosperity.
1t is believed here the presidents
reference to the fact the "time is not
ripe" for American participation in
Europe's financial affairs had in mind
public sentiment in this country as
well as conditions in Europe. Ii
would be difficult to induce any con-
gresham today to advocate scaling
down the European debt so much as
an inch The pressure OF the un-
marketed crops OF the future, how
ever, may result in a different atti-
tudc