Evening star., 1924-07-20
HARDEN DISCOUNTS
-. PAR[EY IN LONDON
Sees Conference as Little
More Than Revival of Old
Diplomatic Game.
BY MAMMALIAN HARDEN.


BY Cable to The Star.
BERLIN, July 19.-The battleships
Arkansas and Wyoming are flying the
stars and stripes in Rotterdam har-
Dor; Young and Kellogg are listening
to speeches in the London conference.
The newspapers of Europe are full OF
news about preparations for the au-
tumnal presidential match-Coolidge
and Dawes against Davis and Bryan.
Americas world power never was
greater than it is today. but also
Americas responsibility was never
greater for the moral and political as
well as the economic evolution of our
planet. Two things must strike the
American observer in Europe.
Attitude Is "Stupid."
First is the lack of feeling of what
is right, unleSsened by experiences OF
the war. Not only do you hear, IN IN
ternational seaside resorts near Rot-
terdam, where there are numbers OF
German families, the stupid, Amos.
criminal, assertion that the United
States intends to intimldate Europe
by sending battleships Tor oI1clai
naval practice, really as threat
Contrasting strangely with the dis
armament call
Sometimes the fear is expresseo
that the United States will take the
lead ir the reparations problem. III
reminded that the United states re-
fused to ratify the treaty OF yer,
KaliIes and thereby gave up ofnclai
60 operation in European concerns
TIE answer is given: Rightly or
wrongly, one giving money mas the
poTer to dictate the law
n veracity Lacking.
=. Secondly. the ger eral lack of po-
s litical veracity and the desplcabie
!. cowardliness in the whole sphere OF
European politics.
The meanings of the London con-
ference are clear. What the writer
recommended years ago now is going
to Ice tried. Treaties are to be adapt
ed to necessities ard inevitable real
tiles. Clauses dictated by anger, fear
and revenge will be modified into
realizable business propositions. Ex-
. perienced business men (who GER
tainly are no gods and are not al
ways geniuses) would soor be sue
ceSsful.
But statesmen who are dependent
upon the smiles and frowns of parties,
. the electorate, the press and public
opinion seem to be playing the pas
sion play as though called to save
the world, and want TO represent
: what they are obliged to do as though
it we're wrung from them on cross
the nails of which, however, give
=
Ramsay Macdonald will be forced
p or will appear to be forced, to make
concessions to the French which as
Labor leader he fought against and
characterized as an outrage TO hu-
nanitN.
Her-iut Hand to BE Forced.
Edouard Herriot whom Raymond
Poncare and the Senate forced to de-
. fend Frances absolute independence and
preserve the reparations commission
- - a sovereign power. Will be forced,
or will appear TO he forced, to yield
. to America and England to uphold
industrial politician LoucheurS idea
IF I had to choose between repara-
ttouS and security | should choose
security says Herriot. meaning that
Weakened Germany is preferable to
Germany paying reparationS but
. threatening the peace of France.
The prime ministers declare daily
that new wars are only preventable
by the unity of their countries. yet
both know that unity is only pos
q sible on the quicksands of phrase
oloGN France does not want to live
under British guardianship. England
/ wants to insure it's continuation by
/ not allowing Germany's exports to
: increase enough to pay full repara-
tions: therefore she hinders France
from ridding herself of the chain of
British debt
Revenge Plans Go On.
'itI man Iiiolld ICllSlS anu ndtlOnal-
lists realize that in view of this dis
cord the fear of Anglo French unity"
Will never stem the scarcely con-
cealed preparations for a war OF
b. revenge.
They mask their pleasure at the
Berlin government, which indulgent-
ly allows ovations officially parading
the HohenzollernS and within may be,
or appear to be, forced to give up
their objections to accepting the
Dawes report. They then will tell
the electorate "we ruled so wisely
that the world gave money to us
debtors. Then we've got the first
f4O,000,0O0 sterling. Much bigger
sums will have to follow"
1t is impossible to believe that last
ing good can come frori such hypoc-
risy. 1t is the writer's opinion that
It is not only Americas duty to
insure the absolutely honorable busi-
ness of great bankers, but that it
also has the much higher duty of
creating a moral atmosphere toward
Eurene, in which alone democracy
can breathe and without which 1t
would become tomorrow a hateful
and impossible lie.
America alone can help if it de-
clares precisely what Europe must
look life if she is to open her money
chests. This is not intimidation, but
= education.
Copyright, 1924