Evening star., 1922-07-08
germany DRIFTING.
| IN WAY or RUSSIA
World Apprehension Stirred
/ by Crisis and Its Dire
b., fH Possibilities.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Germany is the chief worry of the
world. Drifting along from one crisis
tpanother. with her political and eco
nofnic structure steadily weakening!
there arises again the specter of an
other Russia. And if Germany should
10 the way of Russia the effect on
France and Great Britain would be an
Infinitely greater shock than Europe as
+ whole could stend.
I This is the -apprehensive state OF
mind in Washington, 5000 miles away
In physical distance, but. from an eco
nomic viewpoint, next door. Every
branch of the government which
coaches foreign trade or Is dependent
upen European economics is afraid of
. collapse in Germany. The Treasury
department expects to fund the allied
kar debt. Interest and principal are
confidently counted on TO help ease
Americas tax burden, but, while there
Is no official relationship between
German payments of war reparatlon
and allied payments on war debts to
this country. the connection is all too
obvious TO officials here to ignore.
Would Delay War Debt.
II Germany should collapse. the al
hes would promptly ask for post
bonement of payments of their war
febt. They would contend that the
money they had expected to receive
from Germany didn't materialize and
that the crisis in Germany has inter-
Tered with trade and other sources of
income on which allied governments
se dependent.
.aermany in absolute bankruptcy, 1t
k admitted here. would change the
whole face of things in Europe,
though, to be sure. financial bank
ruptcy is feared much less than po-
litical chaos. If Germany should go
f1to a state of bankruptcy and turn
TO the allied governments for a re-
Ssivership the viewpoint of the
French, who have been insisting on
She letter OF the Versailles retaty,
1siis into the hands of the COM
Munists and confiscation Of private
p4operty begins, as was the case In
Russia, and an era of boisheVistic
ttrror sets in. France will steel her.
ssif against any concessions ana VIII
tnsist on maintaining a large stand
log army 10 protect her own frontier
against the overflow of communism
across her boundaries.
~; Concerted Action Essential.
;,Some concerted action to save the
German republic from disaster is es-
sential. The United States govern
nnent is sympathetic with any move
That will tend to hold the Wirth cRbi-
net or a cabinet of similar principles
in power and would surely lend moral
support to any plan for revision Of
the reparstfon clauses of the Ver-
sailles treaty. The very announcement
Of such a revision would strengthen
the hands of the Wirth cabinet and
give the republic the first fruits -
its patience and help to convince the
German people that if they pin their
faith in TIE republic the ship OF state
will be steered through the crisis OF
today. to safer seas OF orderly recon-
struction.
European politics will never be taken
here. Hints and informal suggestions
may emanate from Washington. but
the administration of President Hard
ing believes that leadership in mat
tiers such as these should come from
some European nation.
Great BrItaiar-which has as much
70 lose as any power in Europe
through German catastrophe. Is
looked to for the first move Prime
Minister lSlOS0 EeCTBe StTuSSlSu
Sainly at Cannes to bring about
world economic conference which
would help Germany to her feet. The
French baked aud overthrow the
BRAND ministry. The Genoa confer
ence was prohibited from even dis
cussing reparationS Or modification
of the Versailles treaty. The situa-
tion is still the same as it was when
the Cannes conference adjourned
the French are opposed to conces-
sions Events alone may change
their viewpoint. The question is
whether the reign of assassination
and the circumstances which in re-
cent weeks have made Germanys
government totter will = make the
French realize the danger of further
obstruction. Another conference may
be tried by Lloyd George with the
request that the United States and
other sienatories to the reparatfon
clauses of the Versailles treaty shall
attend. America could not very well
refuse The next step Hes, however,
with Britain.
b.