Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-06
BRITISH POLITICIANS
FORCED BY PUBLIC
TO OK. DEBT PLAN
ngIo-American Amity Seen
by Editor as Sole Hope Of
AVerting New MaeIStrom
in Europe
BY A. G. GARDINER
Britain's Greatest Liberal Editor

Britain's Greatest Liberal Editor
Especial Cable to The Atlanta Journal and
Chicago Daily News-Copyright, 1921
LONDON, Feb. 3.-British public
opinion compelled absolute approva
of the American debt funding plan
There was a great sigh, of relief
everywhere when it was learned thai
the cabinet had accepted.
It had been rumored that there
was strong division of the cabinet
in opposition. This was said tc
have included the premier. If sc
the opposition took fright very thor
oughly before the wave of public
opinion.
Whatever may have been the pop
ular difference of opinion regard
ing the t erms, there was only one
belief concerning the course of ac
ton. With Europe going to pieces
before their eyes the sane English
feeling was that nothing must be
allowed to interfere with Anglo
American relations. If Europe is
ever to be patched up again America
and England are the only powers
equal to the job. The good feeling
between the two is the last asset
left in mad world
How mad it is battles description
I do not recall more staggering
blow than that delivered by the re.
port that Poincare had been engaged
in private negotiations with the
Turk behind the back of the Lau.
same conference. 1t was felt that
if true, the last rag of pretense OF
honor in public affairs was gone and
relations with France must end
until theN affair has been properly
explained away, but a profound
quietness prevails and publication
of all documents would be neces
sary before confidence could be re-
stored.
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Undoubtedly the obstinacy of the
Turks at Lausanne was due to the
conviction that the Franco-Britist
] breach over the Ruhr would be
widened, leaving France openly sup
porting the Turks, and the British
in opposition.
i The Chanak episode has not beer
forgotten and it is impossible tt
exclude the fear that similar de
lvelopment may come from the RSiE
The Ruhr enterprise hourly grow:
more ominous. 1t is rushing Ger
many toward unthinkable anarchy
but is producing no material re
suits for France.
The Lorraine iron foundries al
are stopping through lack of Ruin
coke and France is discovering tina
the bayonet can not be substituted
for the pick in coal mining. Mean
while the collapse of the mark j!
followed by an ominous fall in the
franc. 1t is notorious that the valu,
Of the franc has been kept at al
artificial level by every possible de
vice. The slump is beginning t.
alarm the nervous investor and will
every new evidence Of the failure O.
the invasion the French government
turns the screws afresh.
The immediate cause of the failure
is the fact that France has not sue
ceeded in capturing the Ruhr work
er. 1t was calculated his hostility
toward the Ruhr coal owners anC
their prof1teering tactics would make
him accept French masters. Thi:
conclusion has been entirely base
less. Loyalty to Germany was more
powerful than hatred of employer.
even among the Ruhr socialists.
Real Lesson Learned
But the lesson emerging is the i'm
possibility of extracting money ou
of a debtor by beating him to death
If you want bankrupt to pay yol
must 1et him live.
How long France will be deludet
with this policy of mingled frenzy
and folly, who can say? But the signs
are not wanting that disillusion
ment has begun. A significant move
ment is that French financiers are
curtailing their wealth. in other di
rectops.
When France is sufficiently
scorched herself, in her own flame
perhaps something will be done
meanwhile all lookers-on are help
less at the conflagration. The League
of Nations is helpless. England is
helpless. Lausanne and the Turk
tie our hands. If we do anything
about the Ruhr we shall hear from
Angora. So we continue benevolent
ly neutral, which means we sit
i placidly watching the greatest pub
lie crime perpetrated III the history
of Europa crime, which if not
stopped, will soak Europe in blood
for generations.
This infamous paralysis Of the
moral sense of the world must stop
England and America must act tC
save something of European civil
cation if only for our own selfish
interests. Is history to say the ma
tons of Gladstone and Lincoln sat
like dumb dogs forever while Europe
was converted into a bowling wild
erness?
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