The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-24
THAT is TAKEN TO BE BASIC
WORK OF PROPOSED ECO
NoMlc COMMISSION
WASHINGTON OFFICIAL VIEW
Reparation Question Must Be Settled
Definitely Before Anything Much
Can Be Done Toward Strengthening
Out the European Tangle.
BY EDWARD 3. A

have come words to the effect that
the Strengthening out of Europe's
problems depends entirely on repara-
tons.
Stripped to the bone, the work of
the contemplated commission of eco
nomic experts charged with the duty
of discovering facts In Europe will
consist almost wholly, as a basic prop
%osition, in finding out definitely how
much reparations Germany can pay.
Some men have tried to get away
from this fact by Juggling ~extraneous
things into the discussion. Some men
and some governments, too, for that
matter, as Washington seems to be-
lieve, have attempted to divert
trouble and have done so for various
reasons, the chief one seeming to be
a tenderness for a defeated enemy /;
or because of an inslstent argument
that all the troubles of the world
would be solved If armies should be
d~isbanded and navies strapped as
preludes to the discussion of any
other project.
1t has been heard in official circles
in Washington consistently that moth
ing could be done toward straighten-
ing out European matters until the
Germany reparation question was
definitely settled. France has kept
her army of 100000 men under orders
because the German reparation mat
ter has not been settled. France has
been blamed because she has insisted
on retaining the means to collect phys
ical property from a defaulting debtor.
1t is believed in Washington 300, 600
F%renchmen would be digging in the
fields instead of marching in the
ranks if the interrogation mark long
ago had been removed from the end
of one sentence written into the repa-
rations agreement.
Hope in Uncle Sans Move.
Seemingly finally the United States
is making a nonpartisan and in a large
sense a nonpolitical attempt to help
bring back things to the plane of sta
bility. 1t is a little early yet for the
Washington officials to forecast just
what the result of the proposal of the
administration will be on the immedi-
ate affairs of Europe, but there is a
strong hope here that the mere en-.
france of the United States into the
field will go a long way toward allay.
ing irritation and a considerable way
toward relieving situations which just
10Y are presenting more than alarm
ing features.
The writer of this was in Europe
for several months recently. Every
where in England and France he was
asked if the United States was not
going to do something. Nobody
seemed to know definitely just what
he wanted the United States to do.
but it was perfectly evident that the
Englishmen and the Frenchmen be
lieyed that if this country would only
"do something" no matter how little
it might be nor how seemingly unim-
portant, Europe would become re
freshed with hope and would gain a
confidence which would be helpful to
O%fficialdom and to the people.
French Don't Want Big Army.
1t was easy enough to learn that
neither the French government nor
the French people wanted to keep a
big army in the field eating not only
its own head off but the heads of the
people along with it. 1t was also
easy enough to learn that If the
French once were convinced that
they could get from the Germans all
the Germans were able to pay, the
Impotence, the fretfulness and. the
anger would disappear from France
overnight. Preparations were the only
discussion of a solution of the gen
eral European problem.
In France officials and non-officials
said and probably believed that Ger
many could pay but simply would not.
In England the official feeling, or at
any rate the official expression, was
n of doubt as to Germany's ability
to pay the limit. but the non-oficials
of England seemingly looked at mat
tiers from a different point of view. It
was more than possible that English
officialdom did not care to press Ger
many to the limit. while English nom
ofiicialdom, concerned more with
seeming rights in the case than with
considerations of high politics,
thought that Germany should be made
to pay to the last farthing of its
ability.
There Is still gratitude to be found
in all quarters In Washington because
the commission which is to discuss Eu-
ropes economic matters is not to be
a political commission in any sense
OF course there are those here who
say that if big bankers are on the
commission capital will have its way,
but this feeling takes it for granted
that high finance can be honest
In any line of endeavor.
Former Chiefs In Washington.
1t never has fallen to the lot of an
American city before this time to hold