The Washington times., 1923-02-18
Many Are Going "0n Own
Hook" to Get First Hand
knowledge of Conditions
RESULT MAY SHAPE POLICY
No Courtesies of Foreign
Government to Divert At
tention From Main Purpose
By JAMES r.. NOURSE.
BY Universal Service.

A vast change in the relations
between America and Europe is
in the making. It's effects prob
ably will be concretely shown
when the new Congress assemblies
in December.
Not in the economic nor fl
nancial relations of the two CONT
,.nents, nor even in the political
status existing between them, but
I'm a broader understanding on the
part of American legislators as
to Just what the conditions in
Europe are and how ENHANCEMENT
with those conditions may best
be avoided.
FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE.
This is due to the large number
OF members of the Senate and
House who are planning to go
abroad after Congress adjourns next
month to devote considerable part
OF their vacation to studying Eu-
rope and seeing it as it really is.
There is no question that the
close personal scrutiny which MEM
beers Of Congress are planning to
give to affairs in Europe will have
G1O441SA0OAS O41CS( 0ROA sSAAO ~
titude which those members here
after will assume in dealing with
matters affecting our international
policy when those questions arise.
It is also unquestionably true that
the knowledge which they viii OBJ
tain Of European conditions will
force the adoption Of a more vigor.
GUS foreign policy than Congress
heretofore has known.
For these reasons, the visits
abroad which Senators and Rep
resentatives are about to make are
looked forward to by their col
Eaeagues in Congress as certain to
result in much good to the country
as a. whole.
= Already it has been announced that
Senator George H. Moses of New
Hampshire and Senator Hiram John.
son Of California will be among the
first to leave for Europe as soon as
the session Is over. Several others
viii follow later in the season.
Representative Hamilton Fish OF
New York will be the first of the
House members to go. His trip
win be, perhaps, the most extensive
of all, as he is planning to include
Russia in his itinerary and make a
personal study Of conditions In that
land.
LOOKED FOR TRAVEL.
= Senator Moses and Senator John
son, both aggressive members Of
rthe Foreign Relations Committee,
will devote several months to the
study Of conditions in France, Bel
GUM, Italy and the Balkan coun-
tries. They are going separately
and will make independent investi-
cations Of conditions in the coun-
tries they visit
AS both have stood for a strong
policy of "Americanism'' in deal.
ing with affairs in Europe, their
inspection abroad undoubtedly will
strengthen their insistenee upon
such a policy. This will be re-
Elected, it is believed, in their fu-
ture course as members Of the
Foreign Relations Committee.
The fixed determination Of Presi-
dent Harding not to call the Sixty
Eighth Congress in session before
the regular time for it to assemble
affords an exceptional opportunity
to members Of both Houses to
make these "1ook-see' visits to Eu-
rope.
Not since 1915 has Congress been
given so long q vacation as 1t will
have this year. This has enabled
more members to decide upon the
visit than would be possible II an
extra session were in the offing,
and a large number are preparing
TO take advantage Of 1t.
All those who have announced
their intention to go abroad this
year have stated they will go en-
tirely ION their own hook" that
Is to say, they do not intend to
accept any courtesies from the
foreign nations, but will combine
rest with the search for knowledge,
to see for themselves all there Is to
be seen.
The members who are going
abroad are going there to find out
and they intend to make the best
Of their opportunities while there.
Their determination to go is one
of the best things that could hap
pen for the rest Of the Congress.