Milford chronicle., 1922-04-28
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
OUR PRESIDENTS WISDOM
INDICATED

81 guess Freddie won't think I'm
as they were talking about the Genoa
conference and the secret treaty be-
tween Russia and Germany. "The
whole thing goes back ID the world
club plan idea and proves that the
hest thing for the United States is to
keep our hands off when il comes to
matter where Europe has to get h@r
own affairs settled"
well, we'll" said Uncle Ted, 81
was going to take the car out in the
back of the house this morning and
clean it up but the day has been too
bad. Now it's night and can't do any
thing OF it at all. Guess I'll trOt along
to bed and get up early tomorrow and
do some work on the engine.
'Please don go to bed right away" b"
lid Jack. "Pd like to have you tell
us a little story anyway about Genoa.
We've been talking about it tonight"
eff you promise to go right to bed
when 1 get through so you can get up
and help me in the morning I'll tell
you something about Genoa. In the
first place there have been many of
those who were in favor of giving the
United States away in the world club
plan who would have liked to see us
give the country away by joining in
the Genoa conference. Perhaps they
were right. 1 feel sure they were
wrong. The difference between the
conference held recently in Washing
ton and the one now going on in &C.
noa is that the Washington confer
ence was a meeting of open agree
ment and understanding with the
main object the reducing of armament
and the beginning of an earnest at
tempt to make war harder in the flu
ture. Everyone knew and still knows
that we cannot STOP WAR by A
WAVE OF THE HAND. The Wash
ingtOn conference was a great sue
cess and the representatives of the
various countries returned home with
a better feeling toward the United
States and with their thoughts turned
toward peace in bigger way than
ever before.
''The Genoa conference, to make the
story short, is a conference presum-
ably called to try and get Europe in
order. 1t is a conference of Europeans
for Europeans just as our domestic
problems are problems first and fore
most concerning the United States. No
one could wish this conference great
er success than any deep thinking
American, but European intrigue is
not dead With Germany and Russia
participants at Genoa trouble was
sure to come and has come. The first
thing that was sprung on the confer
ence was the news that Russia and
Germany had broken faith with the
plans of the conference and entered
into a secret treaty cancelling each
others debts and making ready to do
business to the detTiment of the rest
of Europe. Every question taken in
by that treaty was a question to have
been talked over by the Genoa confer
ence and of interest to every country
represented. There is this much to
say about this treaty-it lets the rest
of the world know where these cOun-
tries stand and, thanks to our Presi-
dent who has never agreed that we
should mix up in European politics,
the United States is able to stand
back and watch. Our position today
regarding Europe is stronger than it
has ever been.
"If our President has been thinking
more of Europe than of home we
would now be represented at Genoa
and we would have become so invOlv-
ed in this miX-up that no one could
tell where it would all end. There is
nothing in the present trouble at Ge-
noa to worry us, unless some great
changes come in the future which
does not seem possible"
''Why did we refuse to join this con-
ference?" asked Jack.
"The United States government,
Jack" said Uncle Ted, politely refus-
ed to join that conference because we
knew it would be a political confer
ence Many disagreed with that view
but the wisdom of our President and
Secretary of State has been proved
now beyond a doubt. This Russo-Ger-
man treaty proves it is political and
the treaty itself is something real for
Europe, especially France, to worry
about.
However, while the story is not all
told as yet, we do know this much:
We are at peace with Germany. Our
is even now reporting in |
Berlin. We have not recognized the |
soviet government of Russia and are
not dealing with her. We have felt |
that this conference was Europe's |
business first, therefore we are not a |
member. The only immediate danger |
that l can see would be the possibil-
ity that this secret treaty may stop |
the chance of Europe reaching an
agreement. That might mean long
er delay in payment of debts to the
United States by Europe. In view of
the fact that the chance of payment
of those debts in the near future has
been slight anyway, 1 do not think
that should worry us a great deal.
Our President has appointed a COM
mission that is working out plan
that will undoubtedly straighten out
the debt situation. The return of that
money is of vast importance but of
greater importance is the keeping
clear of alliances with Europe that
would involve the United States po-
Iitically. To have joined the Genoa
would have meant joining
hands with Europe politically to al
most as great a degree as to have
Joined the world club. President Har-
ling realized that. So did Secretary
Hughes and all those great men who
nave the interests of America at heart