Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-01-01
AMERICA TAKES
HER FULL SHARE
Administration Plans Made Public
Show u. S. Not Backward in
ShOuldering Responsibility
(BY ISAAC GREGG)

j
cent announcements both at the White
House and in the speech Of Secretary
of State Hughes before the American
Historical Society at New Haven,
concerning the plans under way by
the administration to bring about a
settlement Of the financial and eco
nomic situation in Europe has served
to clear the atmosphere and to dispel
any doubt which has been felt in some
quarters that this government was
not assuming its share of response
bility in the European crisis
While the plan as announced at
the White House did not contemplate
the calling Of an economic, conference
to convene at Washington for the set
tlement Of the problem in Europe,
this government will be willing to
cooperate in any feasible arrange
ment for the determination of the all
important question of reparations and
would favor participation by Amer
lean representatives OH the. suggest
ed commission of economists and eH-
perts.
So far as the negotiations have
progressed with the European powers
the United States would nominate fl
nancial and economic experts to rep
resent it at such conference just
as the European powers would be.
The place of meeting would be an
nounced at later date but would be
in Europe, not in; America.
According to the American plan
as far as has been announced, the
dominant idea seems to be that the
best practicable way to attack the
PREPARATIONS question is to begin at
it's very foundation which rests upon
determination of the amount OF re-
parations which Germany actually can
pay. :. MI,
It has been made clear in official
circles that such experts would be free
of political control or domination by
the various Foreign Offices. Their
duties would be to collect the facts IN
the situation without political or other
HAS. The experts wo,sd have no
nawer to alter existing treaties or
agreements or to negotiate new ones.
IN fact, their work would consist
in making thorough study OF the
situation, in Germany in particular
and in Europe in general, and their
Law sf1eir respective reports before
the interested governments for ac-
tion. ,.a B. ,,
The various representatives would
he nominated by the governments
CONCERNED and would be acting tor
these governments in completeing
their inquiry. While such a commits
sion. should have government endorse
nent. il would not be hampered by
the views Of the various Foreign
Offices. '"-f
II was learned from an authorita-
tive source that the American govern
fnent is not going to rush INTO har-
one and take upon Itself the burden
of settling the numerous disputes now
existing among the various powers.
Th;s country has quite enough to
bear. it is pointed out, without m
yiting the i'll feeling which would III.
eyitably result from any unwohVeu
activity in such matters. -
The president fully realizes that
the United States cannot arbitrate
Eurone's difficulties without the per-
mission of the sovereign powers most
directly interested, and it would De
equally. impossible for tus to force
such a commission upon them. but
It is argued that when it has been
shown to the world that IT Is impos-
sible to settle the question Of repar.
ations by the ordinary procedure OF
diplomacy. the whole question mlgnt
be properly determined by disin-
terested conference Of economists
and experts.
1t is not believed in official circles
that the president would need any
authority from Congress to call such
conference as proposed. Ihls
country during the past year has
| participated IN more. enaff naii
dozen important conferences without
the express authorization of the leg
islative branch of the government
and that it will probably. participate
lin as many more during the next year
At Rio de Janciro alone, it was stat
ed, there have been or will be more
than half dozen conferences in
which the United States will partiei-
pate. ~ =.
! Nevertheless, the administration
has been careful to choose the Amer
lean representatives to- any confer,
ence it may attend from government
agents stationed near the scene OF the
gathering so that little or no ex'
pense is involved in the participation
On some occasions the representative
Have served without pay '-oc>f4