New Britain herald., 1922-06-26
AMERICANS PRAISED
ON NEAR EAST WORK
Women's Clubs Hear Speaker Tell
Of Europe's Conditions

Chautauqua, n. Y, June 26.-Am
erica should accept her present mag
aiticent opportunity for leadership In
the Near East and not take shelter
Behind mistaken plea for isolation,
DR.. Arthur 4. Bestor said to large
audience of American club women
now gathered together at Chautauqua,
"Our home problems are not SO
complicated and difficult" the speak
er declared, that we have not enough
strength, enough money or enough
men and women to continue our in
nuence and our leadership where it is
so much needed and so much desir-
ed"
Tells of Europe
DIR. Bestor, who is president of the
Chautauqua institution was address
ing the biennial convention of the
general federation of women's clubs.
His speech had to do with a recent
trip through Europe and the eastern
Mediterranean. He dwelt at length
Gpon the high estimation in which
Americans are held in the Near East,
and praised the work of the Young
Mems Christian association, the
Young Women's Christian association
and the American relief admnistra-
ton.
Referring to the political situation,
Or Bestor said
There are certainly many reasons
for pessimism. AS yet there is no
peace in Europe or in Asia. Every
where one sees military establish
nents and great numbers of soldiers.
Then there is the loss of men and of
productivity. In the Lebanons alone
over 100000 people died of starvation
and typhus and other results Of the
war. One-half of all the males in
Serbia between s and 60 died during
the war Everywhere there are I'M
TILED fields and devastated areas be
cause men are not available for their
cultivation and their clearing. There
is everywhere universal debt and men
and women wonder not whether they
will ever be released from these bur
dens but whether their children, may
ever expect to be free. There are
drastic tariff barriers everywhere.
Except in England there is hardly y
balanced budget in any country which
was engaged in the war. There are
difficulties over reparations. The ex-
change is in such a chaotic state that
it is either SO high that no one can
buy from you, or so low that you can
not buy from anyone else. Yet there
are 100,000,000 people in Europe who
must live by the export trade. When
one analyses and reviews these con
ditions there is every reason for n
feeling of encouragement and pessi-
mism for the immediate outlook. But
this is only one side of the picture.
There are many indications of sin
cere desire to find better way of
settling these difficulties between ma
tons and peoples. These peoples are
weary of war and of economic strus-
giles. They sincerely want peace and
the opportunity of working out their
political social and economic saliva
ton"
Cannot Educate
The speaker then explained why
Great Britain and France, in his
opinion, could give education and in
spiration to this part of the world and
keep order in these unsettled areas
and he laid emphasis on the idea
that he was not advocating mandates
for the United States.
But Europe has confidence in the
unselflshness and good faith of Am.
erica" Dr. Bestor went on. "OuI
position in the world is now recog-
nized as it could not possibly have
been recognized in 1914. 1t is true
that the war could have not won
without us. We are recognized as the
one nation which is disinterested ant
Inselfish. We have no quarrels with
any other nation, no harmful ambi.
tons, no Imperialism as that word
ought to be defined, and no fear of
any other nation. We should parti-
cipate in all matters connected with
the settlements. in Europe and the
Near East because OF our peculiarly
favorable position, because of our dis
interestedness and because of our ire
mendous investments In educational
and missionary endeavors.
Europe and Asia are almost as indis.
pensable to us as we are to them.
There can he no return to normal
conditions without our participation
and there can be no reconstruction
u.s.