Evening star., 1923-01-11
i, s, INTERVENTION
|GNOREDBY FRENCH
Efforts by This Country Fail
to Stop Invasion of
~Ruhr.
MILITARY STEP. WATCHED
Hope Felt That Wisdom Of Amsri.
can and British Viewpoints
Will Be Seen.
| MILITARY STEP. WATCHED
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.


and forebearance rather than die
tation to another sovereign power has
guided the American governments
efforts to persuade France TO abandon
her march on the Ruhr.
Details of Americas attempt at
friendly intervention In the last four
weeks were disclosed today. They
shed a new light on what has been
going on under the surface and per-
NIT a clearer view of what the posi-
tion of the United States government
is today in the complicated world
situation. These are the essential
points:
BOyden Voiced u. 81 stand.
First. Roland w. Boydsn spoke
without instructions from the Depart
ment of State two days ago, when he
made his sensational speech at the
meeting OF the reparations commits
sion, pointing out that while France
was legally right about Germany's
having defaulted under the treaty. the
fact was Germany had done the best
she could. The department here
would not say whether. 1t approved
or disapproved what Mr. Boyden had
said, bat there is such general con-
f1dence. here in Mr. Boyden's ability
that no doubt need exist abroad con-
cerntng the accuracy with which Mr..
Boyden reflected the thoughts of his
superior officers in the American gov
I'ernment. Mr. Boyden is an officer of
the American government himself, but
his status on the reparations commits
sion is that of an unofficial observer"
/ Incidentally, the government re-
vealed today that of the two conflict
ing versions Of Mr.. Boyden's speech.
the one claiming that he had advo-
Gated a revision OF the entire treaty
OF Versailles, and the other, stating
that he urged a more liberal inter-
pretation of the reparation clauses of
the versailles pact, the latter is the
correct version.
Invasion Opposed.
Second, the United States govern
ment pointed out to Premier Poincare
the futility of an invasion OF the
coal to be gained was not to be COM
pared with the damage that would be
done in Germany, where bitter feel
ing would be engendered, and outside
Of Germany, where world opinion
would be ranged against the French
Third, the cable dispatches from
Paris today to the effect that Premier
Potncare did not at any time regard
the messages he was receiving from
Secretary Hughes, through Ambassa-
dor Jusserand, as a formal "proposi-
tion" are somewhat misleading. The
American government made it's sug.
gestton that a committee of bankers
and experts be formed to render ad-
vice on the amount of Germany's
reparations and there was no doubt
here OF the purpose of the American
government in making the proposal
Nor was there any misunderstanding
in France as to what the American
suggestion was. If Premier Pofncare
was not a proposition" and hence
could be ignored, then American OF
ficials will not Quibble over the mean.
ing Of words.
U. 8. Plan Offered.
France knows America wanted 10
help. ana Premier Potncare sent Mr..
Hughes several messages commenting
on the various features of the plan.
In fact. the American government
even suggested that France could ap-
propriate the idea and make it her
own. The French reply originally
was that the appointment of a bank
ers' commission meant that govern
ments would surrender their power of
decision to the newly created commits.
sion. The United States countered
with the view that it could be stipu-
lated in advance that no government
was mound to accept the commits
sion's findings. Then the French ar
gued that the premiers' conference in
Paris on January 2 would settle the
matter. The United States ventured
the comment that the proposal should
be seriously considered in the event
the premiers' conference should break
up without an agreement. And that's
where the matter was left.
The American government offered
France way out, but France chose not
to follow 1t. This 1t is conceded, was
Frances right, though, OF course, the
policy France adopted is looked upon
here as a grave mistake.
At this point opinion may differ as
to what the American government should
or should not have DONE The view of
the administration is that IL departed
from what the critics call a policy Of
Isolation" when 1t offered a concrete
plan to settle the European reparations
problem, but that It could not assume