The Washington herald., 1922-12-22
Let Us Keep Entirely Free
From Foreign EntdngLe ements

of nothing further than advice to.
the European Powers-advice that
the German indemnity be limited to
an amount that Germany can pay
somewhere from twenty to thirty
billions of gold marks, instead of
one hundred and thirty-two billions;
That she be given a year to ac-
commodate herself to this demand,
which she shall accept and there
after proceed to discharge, paying
small interest, perhaps two to
three per cent, for the first few
years, and then increasing the per-
centage of interest and allowing a
certain sum for yearly amortization
to clear off the Indebtedness within
a generation;
That France and England and the
other nations then proceed to pay
their Indebtedness to the United
States in a similar manner; because
if PROSTATE Germany can afford to
pay five or six billion dollars,
surely solvent France and solvent
England can afford to pay their
Indebtedness to this country; espe-
cially as they are to be the bene-
ficiaries of the German indemnity.
1t is ridiculous for France and
England to talk about the United
States eanceling a part of their
actual incurred obligations to the
United States provided France and
England cancel part of their un-
precedented and impossible de-
mands upon Germany.
1t would be more reasonable for
France and England to say that the
United States shall cancel her de-
mands upon Germany in proportion
to the degree that France and Eng
land should cancel their demands
upon Germany; but the United
States has made no demands upon
Germany-it has in effect already
cancelled its demands not in part
but entirely-it is the one nation
which has gained nothing and asked
for nothing for it's sacrifices in the
war;
The money owed by France and
England to the United States is not
imaginary money. It is actual
money. actually borrowed and
actually due, and actually used by
the allies to save themselves from
defeat and destruction.
Finally, the United States should
advise the nations of Europe to
abolish their excessive ornaments.
We should advise England to re-
duce her naval and aerial arma-
ments, and the naval auxiliary in
her merchant marine, and to COM
ply in letter and spirit with her
agreements with the United States,
which she is constantly finding ex-
cuses to evade.
We should advise France to
abolish her excessive military arma-
ments to a point equaling those of
England and the United States.
There is no country in Europe at
present threatening France or able
to threaten France or disposed to
threaten France. if she minds her
own business and progresses in
peaceful, democratic way, desisting
from further imperialistic adven-
lures and further attempts to
plunder Central Europe and annex
territory there.
We shall advise Germany to pay
a reasonable indemnity. maintain
her democracy, and refrain from
again becoming a menace to the
peace of Europe.
If the European nations do not
take our advice, they can proceed
blindly and foolishly to their own
destruction; AT LEAST WE WILL
NOT BE INVOLVED IN 1T.
For one hundred and forty years
the United States has prospered be-
yond any nation in the history of
the world by maintaining its aloof-
ness and refraining from Euro
pean entanglements.
Since it has departed from these
historic policies and the proved
principles of a century and half
it has prospered less, and only the
international bankers have pros
pered more.
1t is not the purpose of the
citizens of the United States to
pursue a policy which means only
burdens for themselves and benefits
e for Tho