Evening star., 1923-02-03

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass, Febru-
ary 3.-Roger w. Babson's statement
last week on whats the Matter with
France?" has aroused widespread COM
ment and criticism.
ut is all right for Baoson 10
preach" writes a high French official
but it Is another thing to collect the
money that France must get, and get
at once. Every week we are going
further into debt. Our financial con-
dition forced us into Essen. 1t was
case of sink or swim. We swan.
Mr.. Babson again reiterated his
statement that the trouble with Eu-
rope was primarily spiritual rather
than financial. He still CONTENDS
that the French tactics in the Ruhr
districts are fundamentally wrong
and will complicate the problem
rather than simplify it. Discussing
the actual payment of the reparatons,
Mr.. Babson continues: Several ways
OF collecting the $4,000. 100000 that
Germany owes as reparations have
been suggested.
1.-The French plan is being tried out
at present. 1t promises little In the
way of tangible returns. Regardless
Of how much the French are able to
collect at the point of the gun In the
Ruhr district. the methods they are
employing, if continued, are bound
to increase hard feelings between
France and Germany. They are SOW
ing the seeds for another war.
English Point OF View.
''The English view approaches the
problem from another angle, but Mr..
Do1 ~ cancer
one another's debts and thus reduce
greatly the German reparations is to
my mind absolutely unfair. All ma
tions involved, except the Unlteu
States. are borrowers as we'll as lend
ers. The person who is borrowing as
much as he is lending can enter into
the agreement that all should cancel
his debts. He forgives a million dol
lars and likewise has million dol
lars forgiven him. The United States,
however. is at the end of the line.
These nations owe us s10.o00.o00.0 600
and we owe them practically nothing
The mutual cancellation of debts is
not a solution to the problem. pc
lieve that an effort. toward reason,
rather than force, however, is step
in the right direction.
.One of the most feasible solutions
suggested so far is that proposed by
O. w. Barron, owner of the Wall Street
Journal and Boston and Philadelphia
ceiver be appointed for Germany and
that the matter be handled exactly As
that of any other great bankrupt. Sec
retary Hughes idea to have comm's-
sion of practical bankers, rather than 4
commission of diplomats and politicians,
is a similar step in the right direction
Germany Must Have Gold.
''lf We look at the matter" continued
Mr Babson, from either Of these re-
ownership points of view. We face the
real problem. If Germany had $4,000.
moo. 600 in gold il might be a simple
matter to collect il, but she has no such
amount on hand. Germany has only
bout $3.50, ,00o 900 in gold. This means
that some method must be devised by
which Germany can get the gold with
which to pay the. reparations. France
saSs that if she cannot pay in gold she
must pay in machinery. coal and other
property. But taking away these tools
does not help her earning power 1t
simply makes it harder for her to earn
anything. 1t is like attaching q car
penters tool kit for debt. It makes
it impossible for him to work or earn
anything and he never can pay up.
'.Obviously. if the repa tions are To