Evening star., 1923-12-09
Doubts Congress
Will Solve Foreign Policy

divorce. Then the church intervened
again. When the neighbors began
TO talk the old man consulted me as
10 whether there was any danger OF
ms being arrested. He was seventy
and she was older. I told him I
thought no trouble would arise. but
that he should obtain marriage
license and have the priest remarry
them With crack OF his fist on the
table. he protested: "I'il not do II.
I've got her where I want her. BY
the laws of the church she's my wife.
and by the laws Of the state she has
no interest In my property" Such
seems to be the kind Of a non-en-
tangling alliance that we would like
to have with Europe.
Europe this summer offered a pecu-
liar satisfaction. A man holding any
view could obtain confirmation of 1t.
Each investigator of conditions had
no difficulty in convincing himself
that he was right before he started.
Facts to justify his belief were on
every hand. He could return with the
same set of conclusions he carried
over with him. If before his departure
he had wrought upon the misfor-
tunes and prejudices of his fellow men
and induced them to believe that they
were not masters Of themselves, but
were being held in subjection; IL he
had proclaimed that America was not
democratic, but oligarchic or despotic;
If he had argued that the only way in
which Americans were to be pre-
served from serfdom was to elect him
to office that he might bring about
general disposition of all rights.
privileges and property among all
Russia resolved to dedicate his life
to further advancement Of the rule Of
the people. America Is not going to
ole SO long as We have such self
sacrificing men. / cannot understand
found eoyepnmsnf on Sueh that Waa freer
and safer than America / would take
my household goods and gods there
to abide. and would urge all others
who were oppressed to sell out and
go with me.
If q man went to Europe with the
idea that we really owed something to
Europe, he could listen to the stories
Of our desertion in her hour Of need
and come back quite convinced that
our conscience would never be clear
rope satisfied him. Or IL he believed
that Europe had no interest in Amer
lea except as a bank of discount and
not deposit, he could learn enough Of
what good American gold would do
to confirm his preconceived notion.
that more intimate relations with Eu-
rope would tend TO enlarge Americas
business dealings got all the data he
needed to convince like minded asso-
ciates that the moment we would
take hand In European affairs, that
moment rehabilitation would begin
and business would look up. Yes,
Europe satisfies.
X +
I wish 1t might have been possible
for the holders Of all these contending
views to have met this summer on the
ground of their inspiration and
threshed out their differences. Advo-
Gates of each set of Views might have
been heard by all. Testimony might
have been taken and cross-examina-
tions conducted in order to establish
motives. In this way America might
have learned just what ails Europe.
what kind of medicine she needs. who
can furnish 1t and whether. IL an
American remedy was required, any
danger of infection existed. Our duty
and our opportunity were depicted
differently by each returned visitor,
and Europe continues to rise like a
ghost in halls of Congress, in the
directors rooms of business, In cham
bers Of commerce and in the homes
of our citizens. 1t will not disappear
at the simple command: BE gone."
Maybe the new Congress will have
the courage and intellect. disassoci-
country's foreign affairs. but ! have
my doubts.
Copyright, 1923. by Twenty-nst Century
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