Evening star., 1923-03-03
BID T0MED|ATE
IN RUHR EXPECTED
Secretary Hughes Stays
Here in Expectation of
Some Action.
CHANGE HELD Inevitable
Will Take No Steps Without In
vitation From Some of Allied
Powers Most Interested.
CHANGE HELD Inevitable
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Although President Harding sees
nothing at the moment that might
carry the United States into the Ruhr
situation, the recurrence Of rumors
to that effect is not without plausible
origin.
! Any statement Of what the govern
ment will do can be applied only to
/ twenty-four-hour periods, for the sit
| uation not only may change at any
| minute. but there is more than a
vague expectation that II will.
| Secretary Hughes did not abandon
his proposed trip to the pan American
| of any sudden increase in the activ-
| tiles Of the Department Of State. All
| things considered, he is in a much
| better position to detach himself now
from the routine of the Department
of State than he was on the occasion
of his previous voyage to Rio de
Janeiro, last year.
Mediation Inevitable.
1t would, Of course. have looked a
bit easy-going If, with President
Harding bound for Florida for a
| month, the Secretary of State had
also gone away to South America,
but the reason for the abandonment
of Mr.. Hughes journey goes deeper
than the public impression which
might be produced by the absence
from the National Capital Of its two
most important administrative Off
GERS, especially with both houses Of
Congress adjourned for nine months.
The truth is that mediation by
diplomacy is inevitable. Government
officials are no more aware of what
the process will be than is the gen.
eral public, but 1t takes no extraordi-
nary power of analysis to assume that
the Ruhr situation will not go on in
definitely and that somehow II must
be composed through the friendly Of
fees of outside powers.
VIII Not Interfere.
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes have made it plain to the
American ambassadors at London
Paris and Berlin that the United
States will not intrude. will not make
a move which can be construed as
undue interference, but will wait for
a propitiouS moment when no possible
antangonism can result from Ameri-
can attempts at helpfulness. Rensem-
bering the bitter feeling which was
engendered in America when Great
Britain recognized the belligerency
of the Confederacy, remembering the
resentment of efforts to mediate be-
fore the United States had chance to
make effective war on Spain and re-
calling the recent manifestations of
hostility toward America in the allied
countries during the first two years Of
the war every time peace note was
sent by the Washington government
there is no disposition to butt into
European matters"
This has been the policy for several
weeks, but 1t may be changed any
day by some hint or indication from
France or Great Britain that diplo-
matte settlement would be welcomed.
Officials here feel, Of course, that
Great Britain Is much closer to the
situation than is America and that
when the proper moment for media
ton comes the British will ask the
United States to cooperate.
Question of Debts.
There is continually, of course, the
thought in the minds of European
statesmen that accompanying any
offer of mediation should be some
definite expression on the part of
Great Britain as we'll as the United
States as to what will be done by
these two on the subject Of canceling
or reducing the war debts Of the con-
tinental powers. Much of tho talk OF
the formation of a continental" bloc
abroad is being attributed to the fact
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