The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-28
FORESHADOWS
ENATE: FIGHT
ON WAR ISSUE.
Three Members Engage in a
Lively Tilt Over French
Invasion of the RuEr.
Owen Leads Attack
Upon,F Former Ally

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-The
storm centering about the situation in
Europe and Americas relations to
| it, which is expected to break in the
Senate early next week was fore
Swallowed today by an hour of de-
bate in which the French invasion
of Germany was both criticized and
defended.
Leaders in the movement to bring
about a renewal of the discussion
of European affairs and the atti-
tude of the American government
allowed today's discussion to go by
without their participation in it.
Senator Mccormick, republican, Il
linois, was prepared to address the
Senate on the European situation
as assessed by him during his re-
cent European trip, but deferred
delivery of his speech until next
week. Likewise, Senator Borah, re-
publican, Idaho, withheld introduce
ton of his resolution for the Pres
lident to call an economic confer
ence, which measure when present
ed, is expected to be used as the We
hicle of debate.
Owen Attacks Invasion
Three senators, owen, democrat
Oklahoma; Reed, republican, Pennsyl-
vania, and eddie, republican, Nevada
none of whom have participated
actively heretofore in discussions OF
the European situation, engaged In
today's debate.
Senator owen inaugurated the dis
cussion with an address in which he
said that legal right of France anc
Belgium to go into the Ruhr. to COM
pei payment of Germany's defaulted
reparations might be considered a
| controverted question but that from
a moral viewpoint the invasion OF
Germany was without justification.
The American people could not
morally approve the French policy
Senator owen said, because they saw
in it 1.-The sowing of dragons teeth
| and the dividing of the world again
into two contending camps where the
! Ultimate attitude may be another APP
! peal to organized military force
| Would welcome Mediation
The American people, the Oklahoma
/ senator said, would look with favor
on any move by France and Belgium
| toward inviting friendly nations to
mediate the reparations controversy.
| He concluded with a declaration that
the United States should join with the
! other major mowers in guaranteeing
/ France. against invasion and that
! Germany should be given similar
I world
use economic pressure on the German
| people to enforce reparations.
| Senator Reeds speech was in the
| nature of a reply to Senator owen
! the Pennsylvania senator criticizlnG
any attack on the French policy on
moral grounds.
He said the PREPARATIONS matter had
! been discussed in the Senate from
| 10th a pro- French and pro-German
viewpoint but that he preferred that
| the United States maintain neutral
| stand He pointed out that America
| had remained neutral during the Ger
| man invasion of Belgium and France
in the early days of the war and
| added:
I'VE did not break into voice then
as we are doing now at an invasion
| that is not attended by murder and
disregard of international law. Why
| in Gods name can we not stand
neutral today when retribution Is
&C ming to those murderers of Bel
| CLANS and French and Americans"
Speaks As Ex-SoIdIer
| Senator Reed, who served with the
| American expeditionary forces. added
with a show of earnestness. that he
was not speaking his own views
alone, but as the men who fought
| in France would speak if they were
here in the chamber" and as "the
men who died in France would
| speak"
There was a default, clearly there
was default in the PREPARATIONS
payments by Germany" he told the
Senate. CLEARLY there is no inten-
ton on the part of the Germans 10
pay those reparations. The bully who
staggered in 1914, 1915, 1915 and In
1917 now whines because he is beaten
Are we going to allow ourselves to
be deceived by that?'
Senator Oddie. speaking briefly. APP
proved the French course, and after
Senator Owen had replied to- Senator
Reed, the discussion was ended until
next week.
Another development in the discus
sion of international relations during
the day, however, was the sending by
Senator France, republican, Maryland
to Chairman Lodge of the foreign
relat committee of a letter askin;,
that the committee act on the Mary
land senator's resolution authorizing
the President to call a conference at
Washington of the nations that We're
signatory to The Hague convention
of 1899.
The purpose of this conference. as