Evening star., 1922-09-10
U. S. AFFAIRS COME
AHEAD, SAYS cox
Re-EstabIishment of Pros
perity Must Precede Any
European Discussion.
ENGLAND WANTS TO PAY.
Believes After American Debt Is
Cancelled Proposal Will Come
to Drop Balance.
ENGLAND WANTS TO PAY
By the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September s-Re-
establishment of prosperity In the
United States must be given first
place in the thoughts of Americans
and must be the preface to discus
sion of the entrance of this country
into European affairs and into the
league of nations. declared James
NJ Cox, former democratic candidate
for the presidency at the last cleo
tion. on his return from Europe today
on the Paris. Mr.. Cox went abroad
to study old world political and
economic conditions.
Discussing the issues in the con-
gressional elections this fall, Mr..
Cox said that the internation issue
would be the failure of the admins
tration. both in the moral and unselfish
view on the one hand and the pracs ical
and selfish view on the other, to par
ticipate in the affairs of the world =
But he added. the matter of gov
ernmental association to promote
peace must yield to the matter of
establishing economic order in this
country.
League IL Not Pressing.
Mr.. Cox said that, for the moment,
there was nothing pressing in the
question OF the league OF nations. In
Europe, he declared. reparations and
not the league is the important Ques-
tion now.
Preparations" Mr.. Cox declared,
is the one question In Europe today.
and America holds the key to the
reparations situation. II a decision is
not reached. Germany will collapse
and with her will go Austria. And if
Germany collapses, France will get
nothing and be left in a very bad
situation which will endanger ali of
Europe
''At the fall elections. the admins
tration will have to answer for its
sins of omission and commission.
internal one, the domestic and inter
national questions cannot really be
separated The economic unit is the
world, not any one country. A part
of IL is close to collapse. America
had a chance, without involvements
of any kind, to end the deadlock, sta
bilize Europe and create a market
for our farms and factories. Declin-
ing prices in Americas products are
largely due to the rejection of this
opportunity
England Wants to Pay.
Mr.. Cox said that he favored sus-
allied war debts. The Balfour state
ment. he added, was badly received I'm
England and did not express the
feelings of the people.
England wants to pay us what she
owes" Mr.. Cox went on. II should
not be surprised il when she does il
she then proposes that all the re-
naming obligations to the United
States and England be cancelled.
The league needs no defenders.
The United States will become
member of it. of course. That lis as
certain as the coming of day. We
will come in, not only as matter of
duty and service. but of self-fnterest
as we'll. We will enter with a well
formed and understanding public
cease to be a political issue.
Germany Awaits United States.
Germany. 1 was told by President
Ebert, will enter the league the d Y
the United States does. but she viii
league unless we do. Just as soon AS
the constitution of the Irish Free
State is fully ratified. ireland will be
represented in the assembly of the
league. Whatever condition America
sees fit to impose conscientiously, the
other members beyond question will
accept"
Mr.. Cox said that the unanimous
feeling among American travellers
abroad was one of astonishment that
America was not finishing the great
work 1t had begun by participating
in the war. This feeling, he declared.
was shared by Europeans.
Did Not Act Omcially.
when 1 proposed that the United
States act as mediator in the repara-
tions commission" he stated, "the
idea created absolute enthusiasm in
London and the continental capitals.
1 also mentioned the idea OF having
Secretary Herbert Hoover, who is
universally known and respected.
ascertain accurately Germany's true
state. his findings to be used by the
reparations commission. OF course,
this idea was not proposed with the
intention of interfering with the ad-
ministration or with carrying on its
affairs"