The Lamar register., 1923-03-14
WASHINGTON NOTES
Don't Want 1t.

League OF Nations partisan, made the
statement, according to the newspap-
er reports, that IF the United States
mad entered the League OF Nations,
France would not be in the Ruhr to-
day."
All European nations, with the eX-
ception Of Germany, are in the League
OF Nations. Therefore, Mr.. Morgan
thau's statement, if it means any
thing, means that the United States
would have been able to accomplish
what none Of the nations or all of
them together in the League were not
able to accomplish. This checks it
up to the United States. To say that
had it been in the League of Nations
France would not now be in the Ruhr
Is to say that one of the following
three things would have been done by
the United States.
Q) 1t would have guaranteed
France the payment of the indemnity
she seeks from Germany. That is, the
United States would have paid the in
demnity itself by underwriting the
German promise to pay. This would
have necessitated raising money in
this country by the issuance of bonds
for which the American people would
have been taxed and these bonds, or
the money therefrom, turned over to
France in lieu of the money she was
unable to collect from Germany.
(2) France would have been guar
anteed security from future attacks
from Germany by military alliance
with the United States. This is what
President Wilson attempted to have
done, going so far as to bring u treaty
to that effect to this country and ask
ing that it be ratified by the United
States Senate.
(3) France would have been told
by the United States that she had col
lected enough; that Germany had paid
all that she could pay and ought to
pay, and had France attempted to en-
ter the Ruhr she would have been OPP
posed by the military forces of the
United States.
These are the only three eventuali-
ties that could have kept France out
of the Ruhr. Which one of these three
solutions, if any, would the people of
the United States stand for? The
answer is obvious. They would have
stood for none of them.
Mr.. Morganthau's assertion is
sample Of the silly talk that is going
on continually. 1t is a sample of the
vicious propaganda that is being cir
culated through the press and from
the pulpit and platform; some of it
shrewdly by those who have full
knowledge of its deception and mis-
chievOus effect; some Of it stupidly
by those who, par. ot-like, repeat what
some one else tells them without know
ing what it means or what effect it
will have.
out of the flood Of propaganda urg-
ing the United States to ''do some
thing to help Europe what concrete
suggestion or plan has been offered
other than one which necessarily in
wolves the employment OF our military
and naval strength, the cancellation of
billions of dollars due this govern
ment and the loaning of billions more?
Not anything. Yet either one or all
three of these would mean the tax
payers of the United States shoulder
ing the financial burdens of Europe
and maintaining at their expense suf-
ficient military and naval forces to
enforce the advice offered to Europe
by this country.
Talk about Europe needing our NOR
al support is plain buncombe. Europe
may need it, but Europe does not want
it. The plain truth is that repeated
" within the last two years Europe
has insultingly rejected our moral sup
port. 1t has refused to give heed to
our advice as to what should be done
to correct the deplorable situation in
which European countries find them
eeIves What each European nation