Evening star., 1923-03-25
BY WILBUR FORREST.
(By Cable TO The Star and New York TribI

tBy cable TO Ihe Star anu New Ork Tribune,
Copyright, 1921
PARIS, March 24-Washington
Legislators freed by the congressional
hiatus are now fiocking to Europe
to absorb enlightening material to
the next sessions debate are bringing
a highly Illuminating message to the
battered old continent and are CIV
ing promise of returning TO Wash
ington with greater ability than ever
to contribute TO the popular Ameri-
can foreign policy.
If the Senators and Representa-
tives carry back the message which
can be had for the simple asking In
Europe this spring and summer the
next session will be strongly against
contact with the European mess,
for il is not many hours after Sena-
tor Jones and Representative Smith
strike the continent that some pa
triotic European has him in conTer-
sation. After the formalttleS the IN
evitable question pops.
What Each Nation Wants.
why doesn't the United States get
into this affair over here and settle
it?" The logical answer is. What
do you want the United States to
do?"
If it is in France, the American law
to force Germany TO pay reparations
and to cease planning to wipe France
off the map at her first future oppor-
tunity.
If it Is in England. it Is talk about
restoring the equilibrium OF trade
If In Italy, ii is something in which
great moral influence can be
welded.
European wide. it is a plea to join
the league OF nations and to exercise
a moral influence there.
Whereupon the American lawmaker
inquiries in what way this moral in
fuence could be valuable to Europe
and right there the conversation ends
on political and economic subjects
unless 1t has been admitted into the
talk up to that point which has bten
a fencing contest, for Europe knows
that the great moral influence" of
the United States at this stage Of
Europe's trouble is worth nothing
unless IL is backed up by very ma
terial financial, economic and pos
Sibly military aid
And let IL be said for the benefit Of
several American lawmakers who
already have reached this side that
they are getting down to brass tacks
this spring in admitting frankly that
the representative or senator who
returns to his home constituency to
plead for more loans and possibly
more armies for Europe will receive
d record minimum vote at the next
election.
May Lecture in L. s.
The European mind has begun to
absorb this. yet it may be expected
that considerable influence will be
brought to bear in projecting the
league fight and possibly high
calibered Europeans will be seen On
the democratic lecture platform OF
the United States when the campaign
gets going. But in France, which
is now the political center of the
European muddle, permanent OBJ
servers are able to see what visiting
, legislators observe and will continue
to observe here that while there is
already the desire to see America in
European affairs. one form or an
other, realities are replacing hopeful
visions.
Three years ago the French had
not much of an idea as to her repara-
tions and economical problems would
be solable. Their hands were cupped
behind their ears and their faces
turned toward the United States.
where the average Frenchman knew
and still knows that financial and
business genius exists sufficiently in
America to become the European
Moses.
Held Ears to Ground.
BRAND. Locheur and Poincare all
held their ears to the ground until
exhausted and then walled that
America had neither given Europe
moral and spiritual or material help.
Most Frenchmen. however. today are
convinced that they have found the
solution for reparations in the Ruhr,
but this method of brusquely ruffiing
the German feathers the greater
question of French security arises to
complicate the situation.
Security against future German ag-
gression has become a greater issue
in France than reparations. In the
last analysis most Frenchmen agree
that American moral influence is of
little use and that the only way that
the United States can now powerfully
be of aid in solving European ills is