The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-07-19
AMERICA MAY AID
IN RUHR MESS
viii Give Direct, Official Assist
ance if British Plan Is Along
Certain Lines.
FEARS RUIN OF GERMANY
Would Avert Collapse Now Approach
ing as Peril to Entire World.
Hughes Summons Harvey and
Keeps in Touch With Harding.

Washington.-The United States
may be found actively backing the
new British reparations policy which
Prime Minister Baldwin has put be
fore the House of Commons. Secre-
tary Hughes is keeping in the closest
touch with all phases Of its develop
ment. A great number of dispatches
has accumulated at the State Depart
ment and as a result Ambassador Har-
vey was summoned back to Washing
ton from his home at Deal, N. j.
II the British policy develops along
certain lines the direct, open and Of
fetal cooperation of the United States
may be expected. But even should the
new British plan not fit in with the
requirements of the Administration
here it is being strongly urged that
the Administration display more than
a benevolent neutrality toward unof-
fetal American participation in the
solution of the worlds hardest eco
nomic and political problem.
The first course of conduct would
involve the appointment of ar official
representative to some sort of an in
ternational commission to assess Ger
many's capacity to pay and the
method of paying. Such full co-opera-
ton is not for the moment legally
possible. It is necessary to secure
the approval of Congress for the APP
pointment Of such a representative
abroad.
The second cours involves making
public a statement of some authorita-
tive kind which would inform the
world that the Government Of the
United States, believing itself compe-
tent to speak for the bulk of opinion
Of the American people. gives it's APP
proval to participation on such a ON
mission by an American individual,
either a jurist or a banker.
Significantly there is no indication
here that Secretary Hughes foresees
any contingency in which the United
States will not have to act in some
positive way. 1t is emphasized that
any action will be so designed as to
escape any charge that America is
OAhCi lug lnbO any GQl OPC0A pOAllblOol
entanglements. The Preparations prob
lem is regarded as a purely economic
one, perhaps the most important fac
tor in the world economics today, and
IS political in only one parochial sense.
namely, that France has gone so far
with the Poincare policy of coercion
in the Ruhr that it will be difficult for
hAn - hnaIx dAuyp ry;fha,,k ~,
finite loss of prestige.
The most complete diplomatic in
formation is available upon the de-
velopment of the ~reparations situation.
1t is to pass judgment on dispatches
containing this information that Am
bassador Harvey is supposed to have
been summoned back from his vaca-
ton. While it is said here that this
was not responsible for the Ambassa-
dore's failure to sail on the Leviathan
as scheduled, July A. his presence here
at this juncture is regarded as provi-
Dental. Secretary Hughes is practi-
cally alone in Washington of all the
Cabinet. MIR. Harvey is the only big
figure within reach capable of advis-
ing with him on the subject of foreign
affairs.
According to information in the
hands of the authorities here the prox-
innate cause moving the British Cabi-
net to take its epochal decision with
out the concurrence of France, if
necessary, lies in the approaching ex-
haustion of German balances accumu-
lated in England and elsewhere.
Much of those balances was used to
buy coal, unproduceable in Germany
in adequate quantities without the
Ruhr. October / will see those bal
ances we'll nigh finished. Not only
will Germany then be faced with COM
plete disruption Of her economic life
through inability to supply her own
raw material deficiencies through pur-
chases abroad, but the British coal
industry at this time will have to meet
a blow capable of causing it's collapse.