Evening star., 1923-10-30
M'C0RM|CK'SWEW
BRINGS CRITICISM
Senator Borah and Others
Uphold U. S. Policy in Rep
arations Dispute.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Senator Medill Mccormick of Illi-
nois was twitted good -naturedly today
as he dropped in at the White House
Just as the members OF the cabinet
were filing in for their regular Tues
day meeting with President Coolidge.
The senator had issued the first pub
lie statement criticizing the Cool
idge-Hughes policy in the European
reparations dispute.
"Fou're behaving like a Volcano
Secretary Hughes remarked as he met
the Illinois senator in the corridor.
"You made US all get out our die
tionaries to find out what Lotophagi
are." remarked Bascom Slemp. private
secretary to President Coolidge.
And a moment later Senator Borah
of Idaho came along and was asked
what he thought about Medin Nc
Cormick's statement. and he took the
position that the Illinois senator was
carrying the fight of the so-called
.'irreconcilable" group too far.
Sees Effect OF Shell Shock.
Some of the senators who were
in that fight" said Mr.. Borah with a
laugh, ARE still suffering from shell
shock Now while we fought the
league of nations because we thought
1t a political alliance, we never in
tended that America should refrain
about a world situation. Why. we
did 1t in the Moroccan situation, and
we have always stood ready to give
our advice. But it's one thing to
enter a political alliance and quite
another to discuss economic ques-
we cannot have an international eco
nomic conference without entering
into political alliances or talking
about cancellation of debts. That's
we never need go beyond conference
IL we do not desire to do so. But
we cannot refuse to confer, especial
Iy when the situation concerns the
markets of the United States so
vitality"
Others Voice Objections.
Some of the criticism voiced by other
senators was that Mr.. Mccormick
should not have issued his statement
Immediately after lunching with Pres
ident Coolidge, for persons abroad
might have the impression that this
intimacy signif1ed a concurrence by
the President in what Mr.. Mccormick
said. Mr.. Mccormick. on the other
hand. prepared his statement last
Sunday and wanted Mr.. Coolidge to
know what he objected to in the
present foreign policy of the admin
istration. SO that opportunity might
be given to modify 1t. Failing to
change the Presidents mind, Mr.. Nc
Cormick issued his statement of dis
sent. In spite of this explanation.
some senators said today they
thought 1t q mistake for Mr.. McCor-
mick to say that the four-power pact
with Japan had been rendered mean
ingless by a Senate reservation, as
that, too, might be regarded In Great
Britain, Japan and elsewhere as re-
treat by the United States government
from obligations then assumed.
Senator Explains His Position.
Mr.. Mccormick was asked by the
writer what his objection was to
the proposed plan of an international
commission of experts If 1t was as
sured that the experts were not rep
resentatives of the United States
government. He said 1t was his un-
derstanding that the experts would
be representatives Of the American
government anu would be nominated
by 1t. This, however, is contrary
to the impression given at the De-
partment of State, where the news
paper men have interpreted remarks
made there to mean that the experts
will not represent the government of
the United States, but will as private
citizens be invited by the reparations
commission itself just as any legal
or technical advice might be sought
from private persons. Under iden-
tical circumstances the reparations
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