San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-26
Borah's Farm Bloc Asks
Conference But Admins
tration Silent. ..
FRANCE WON'T LISTEN
Misery and Starvation Too
Common to Protest
These Days.
Nv DAVID LAWRENCE.

washington, H. ~ Odh' -o'-DO'h
France and Germany are too tensely
set in carrying out of their present
policies in the Ruhr to listen to any
outside suggestion. So no government
is attempting TO persuade either side
to consent to peace negotiations.
This is the latest information from
the Department of State today. IL any
thing is going on informally in the
realm of diplomacy abroad, the Amer
lean government has not heard of it.
This means that no government has
the temerity, at present. to call on
France and Germany publicly or pri'
vatciy to cease their war of exhaustion,
and that the two policies of coercion
and passive resistance must .un their
course.
Misery and failure, starvation, stop
page Of food supplies, government in
spired strikes, isolation of the civilian
population in the Ruhr and all the
other measures which the civilized
world used TO think brutal in war days
are being permitted 10 pass without
protest from any government.
The cost of maintaining the Ameri-
can army of occupation, at least a
quarter of a billion dollars, remains UNI
paid Because France has prior claim
on Germany's assets and. while Amer
lea has received from other Allied gov
ernmcnts n recognition of the equity
of the American bill. France is at the
moment enforcing her idea of priority
and taking what she can from Ger
many.
Concerned About Trade.
Meanwhile the effect on American
trade is causing much concern. And
Senator Borah and members Of the
farm bloc are growing FESTIVE again
at the administration hcsitancy to
call an economic conference. Mr. Bo-
rah is very much in earnest in his be-
lief that the American government
should protest against the invasion of
the Ruhr and should formally call an
economic conference where the French
would be before the bar of world opin-
ion to present their case.
Mr.. Borah is one of those who be-
licvCs the French have violated their
own treaties and that an impartial Cx-
animation in a world tribunal would
prove il. But his paiD thought is that
the AmcricaN-Eoyefitnt should be ac-
lively eXerting its Influence either by
II formal protest or by meeting of all
powers for the revision of the exist
ing order and a return to methods of
moral rather than physical force.
The administration thinks an eco
monte conference at this time would be
futile. II neither France nor Germany
cares TO rccedc from their present poll
Cies and yield to informal mediation.
would France especially be any more
disposed to accept an invitation to a
world economic conference? This would
be equivalent TO consent that the Ruhr
problem and other phases of the rep
aration controversy shall be submitted
for new discussion and a new set OF
| rules and regulations. France insists
that the present rules are adequate, il
only they can be enforced. and she is
just now engaged in proving TO Ger.
many that they can be enforced.
Stern Rises in Senate.
The storm in the Senate is rising.
The Borah group does not relish Amer.
lean SILENCE in world crisis involving
| moral issues MS well as American eco.
monte interests. The administration is
not anxious to precipitate a controversy
with the numerous factions in the Sen,
ate and. in the absence of any specific
objective that would appear to be OF
any ultimate good, nothing at all l.
being done. 1t is a policy of watchful
waiting. This naturally gives Senator
Borah his chance. And there are 9th
ers in the Senate who feel that the
foreign policy of the administration is
not positive enough to inspire respect.
Secretary Hughes is. at the moment.
fencing with the Senate, and he has
the advantage of documents as well as
an intimate knowledge Of just what the
diplomatic situation is in Europe. His
letter TO Senator Lodge. telling exactly
what Rowland Boyden has done as un.
official observer on the reparatiOns
commission clears up many doubts, and
shows that Mr.. BOyden was not med.
ding, but simply trying to keep the
sharp distinction between official rep
lesentative and unofficial observer. and
that he has not yet committed the
American government 10 any opinions
on the merits Of the reparations con-
trOverSy.
Mr.. Hughes would life to see the
pending resolution worded SO that the
President would have the discretionary
power at any time TO send an Ameri-
can representative to attend officially
or refrain from attending the meetings
of the reparations commission. Wheth-
er the "irreconcilables would permit
this is another question.
The administration doesn't feel that
the need of an official representative
on the commission is at this time acute,
so it is not pressing for authority.
Mr.. Hughes still believes that the
way out of the whole thing is not by
any new action of the reparations COM
mission but by the acceptance of his
original suggestion that commission of
bankers and expects from each Of the
big powers get together and recommend
solution.