Evening star., 1923-09-09
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. September S.-Former
Gov. James NJ. Cox Of Ohio. standard
bearer of the democracy and of the
league Of nations in the campaign
of 1920 has Just come out of the
woods OF New England, tanned by
sun and wind. hard as nails in
physical fitness, but extremely re-
Elective in mind and spirit
The governor spent most of the
week here in New York, talking with
Joe Tumulty, AL Smith, Norman Mack
! and many other leaders, but 1t was
plain to all who had his confidence
| that his thoughts were on the tan
gled anairs of the world rather than
| on partisan politics. He did strik g
| out once or twice at the enemies of
\ the league of nations. He said there
were men in the United States SO bit
! terly partisan that they would rather
see the world plunged in a new war
than to have the league succeed in
preventing such a confiagration.
| Out of Politics.
Gaugtng every statement made by
GOV. Cox at its true value. 1t can be
sald tnat ne Will not take any active
part in the preconvention democratic
campaign next year. II the Ohio dele
cation is pledged TO him it will be en-
tirely matter for his friends to ar
range. He will neither demand nor
angle for such an Endorsement Gov
Cox recently has doubled his news
[ paper holdings. He now has papers
| In Dayton, Springfield and Canton,
ohio, as well as in his winter home at
Miami. Fla. He is going to spend the
months and immediate years ahead of
him in the further development of
| these properties. Gov. Cox assumed
editorial direction as well as business
Supervision of his papers, and So in
the fastness of the New Hampshire
! hills. he has been considering edi-
I torially the situation in the world.
| There are two great misfortunes
In the world situation today" he said
! to the writer. "and we could control
| both OF them.
| German reparations question in two
| weeks. Every business man knows it,
! Even Fred Cpham, treasurer Of the
| republican national committee-no
| one Will call Fred ft-kearted or a
| sentimentalist in politics-has just
come home from Europe with the
! statement that he Is going to Wash
| fngton to urge President Coolidge to
| intervene and settle the controversy
between France and Germany.
| United States Is Mediator.
! when / came home from Europe
, nearly a year ago / reported that
| France and Germany were not so far
1 apart as the world imagined. I had
! talked with both sides. l knew what
I the exact figures were that each coun-
| try had In mind. They wanted the
| United States to come in as umpire
| and recommend the basis of the set
| tlement. France was in no political
| position to accept any offer Germany
| might make. Germany could not COM
| ply with Frances public demands.
I She could have complied. 1 earnestly
| believe. with what France would have
| been willing to take under our deci-
I sion.
| But America stayed out What
| Is the resulto The tangle of the
! Ruhr. There would have been no
| Ruhr problem If we had acted in
| time. With reparations settled, Ger
| many would have floated loan. She
| could have made a considerable pay
ment to France and she could today
have been buying in America the
| many things she needs improving her
| own conditions and relieving us OF
! surplus which is growing embar-
! RAISING to say the least
Il weigh my words carefully when
I say that our failure to step into
| the reparations question is nothing
short of criminal neglect.
fOur failure in this direction has