Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-30
Of DEBATE
OVER RUHR AFFAIR
IS DUE IN SENATE
Owen Scores the French,
Reed Demands Neutral
Stand, Pointing to 1914
When TeutonS RaVaged

WASHINGTON, Jan. %. - The
storm centering about the situation
in Europe and Americas relations
to it, which is expected to break in
the senate early this week, was
forshadowed Saturday by an hour of
debate in which the French i IL
sion of Germany was criticised and
defended.
Leaders in the movement }
bring about a renewal of the dis
cussion of European affairs and the
attitude of the American govern
ment allowed today's discussion to
go by without their participation in
it.
Senator Mccormick, Republican,
Illinois, was prepared to address the
senate on the European situation, as
seen by him during his recent Eu-
ropean trip, but deferred delivery
of his speech until next week. Like
wise, Senator Borah, Republic L,
Idaho, withheld introduction of his
resolution for the president to call
an ecC Jmic conference, which
measure, when presented, is ex-
pected to be used as the vehicle OF
debate.
Three senators, Owen. Democrat,
Oklahoma; Reed, Republican, Penn.
sylvania, and Oddie, Democrat, Ne
Vada, , Of whom have partici-
pated actively heretofore in discus
sions of the European situation, en-
gagged in ;)day's debate.
Senator Owen inaugurated the
he said legal right of France and
Belgium to go into the Ruhr to
compel payment of Germany's de-
faulted reparations might be con-
sidered a controverted question. but
| that from a moral viewpoint the
inv of Germany was without
| justification.
Sees War Likelihood
The American people could not
moral pprove the French policy
Senator Owen said, because they
saw in it 1.-The sowing of dragons
teeth and the dividing of the
! world ag into two contending
camps, where the ultimate attitude
may be another appeal to organ
lied military force"
TIE American people, the Okla
homa senator said, would look with
| favor on an. move by France and
Belgium toward inviting friendly ma
tions to mediate the Preparations
controver y. He concluded with
declaration that the United States
should join with the other major
powers in guaranteeing France
against invasion and that Germany
should be given a similar guaran
tee and that "the world should use
economic pressure on the German
; people to enforce PREPARATIONS"
Senator Reeds speech was in the
nature of a reply to Senator Owen,
the Pennsylvania senator, criticising
any attack on the French policy on
moral grounds. He said the repara-
tons matter had been discussed in
| the senate from both a prO-French
and a pro-German viewpoint, but that
he preferred that the United States
maintain a neutral stand. Hc point
ed out that America had remained
neutral during the German 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
| coming to those murderers of Bel
gians and French and Americans?"
Senator Reed, who served with the
American expeditionary forces, added
with d show Of. earnestness, that he
was not speaking his own views
alone, but as 1.-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"
Blames the Germans
"There was a default, clearly there
was a default, in the Preparations
payments by Germany" he told the
senate. CLEARLY there is no inten'
ton on the part of the Germans to
pay those reparatlons. The bully
who staggered in 1914, 1915, 1916
and in 1917 now whines because he
is beaten. Are we going to allow
ourselves to be deceived by that?"