The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-09-21

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sentatives of the great powers, espe-
cially Lord Robert Cecil, were on the
defensive. For several days, at the
request Of President De la Torriente,
the Corfu and Fiume affairs were not
openly discussed, and the league de-
voted itself to the Austrian situation,
concerning which it could properly
congratulate itself. But finally HAL
mar Branting Of Sweden broke loose
when the commission for disarmament
was debating the proposed treaty of
mutual guarantees. Declaring this to
be a coercive instrument, he asserted
the covenant already has shown itself
to be rather fragile In practice, and he
questioned the wisdom Of taking steps
toward more stringent measures when
the league cannot enforce those 1t has.
Other severe critics Of the leagues
general policy and especially of the al
legged failure Nof the great powers to
live up to the covenant were DR.. Chris
tian LANCE of Norway and Prince Ar
faed Dovleh of Persia.
@ EIZING the opening presented. the
~ Republican national committee last
week issued a statement to show at
length how the Failure Of the League
of Nations to function in the Italo-
Greek dispute has completely vindi-
Gated the opposition Of the Republican
party to American membership in the
league and to American entanglement
in any such European affairs. The
committee made no direct mention Of
the world court.
THANCELLOR STRESEMANN, in
~ an address to a group of editors,
made public his plan for PREPARATIONS
and settlement Of the Ruhr problem.
He said in part:
According to the Versailles treaty,
Germany's Indebtedness is guaranteed
by national property. What 1 propose
concerns direct collaboration of pri-
vate property and therefore goes be-
yond the Versailles treaty. Our call
ing upon private property in Germany
creates realizable security, whereas
the securities under the Versailles
treaty cannot be cashed at present.
s'If mortgages are inscribed as first
mortgages on state and private prop
erty Of the entire economic system of
Germany in favor Of the German state
Ito certain percentage mort
cages can be considered realizable and
movable value-and brought into a
trustee company in the administration
Of which reparations the creditors
would participate. The interest on
this mortgage would go to the trus-
tee company, which would take up the
loans after issuing obligations based
on these mortgages and their interest.
This would give France possession Of
big sums as well as turn the interest
payments into cash in set time.
"Such fulfillment certainly is not
theoretical nor general guarantees, but
real facts, free from ambiguity. This
offer can place France in possession
Of payments, upon which all the con-
ditions the French made for withdraw
ing from. the Ruhr are fulfillable.
HIn order to make it actual, it Is re-
quired that the Ruhr again be under
German control and the German SOW
ereignty restored in the Rhineland.
Our offer can bring a solution to the
passive resistance If we are given a
guarantee that after an agreement has
been reached the Ruhr will be evacu-
ated and the old rights restored in the
Rhineland."
Herr Stresemann tacitly admitted
Germany had lost out in the Ruhr but
made no direct reference to the gov
ernment's readiness to call Off passive
resistance.
France still insists that passive re-
sistance must be officially ended, and
also that evacuation of the Ruhr can
only be effected in proportion to pay
ments made.
TAPAN'S earthquake disaster has lost
y nothing in gravity or horror with
the receipt of more complete details.
Numbering the victims is still impos-
sible, and probably always will be,
but the total casualties are estimated
by the Japanese home Office at consid-
erably over a million, and 1t is thought
the deaths are more than 100000.
Having restored order quickly, the
Japanese government is devoting it.
self to the vast work of relief and re-
construction, with the cooperation of
the rest of the world, especially Amer
lea. Our Red Cross relief fund star
over the $5,O0O,OO0 mark and increas-
ing daily, for an immense sum Will be
needed. The organization, besides
cabling $1.000O00 for immediate pur-
chases in nearby markets, is buying