The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-23
THE PART A DEMOCRAT PLAYED

Because MT. Charles G. Dawes was chairman of the committee of experts to propose program for solving Germany's economic problems, the plan of the com mittee has been loosely spoken of as the Dawes plan. That MT. Dawes energy and executive ability drove the commit tee to it's work and forced sensible short cuts through the ceremonious red tape that usually impedes such tasks is un- questioned. He had share in the re- suit that is important and no one desires to withhold due credit from him.
 It is evident, however, that due credit is being withheld from the man whom MT. Dawes himself designated as having contributed most to the shaping of the plan adopted. That man is MT. Owen D. Young, Mir. Dawes associate on the com mittee and praised by MT. Dawes as hay ing done more than any other member to organize the data, envision working plan and elaborate the details as finally accepted, not only by the committee, but also by all the powers concerned, includ- ing Germany.
 Inasmuch as the Republicans are mak- ing much campaign capital out of MT. Dawes connection with the separations solution, it is only fair to themselves and to MT. Young that the Democrats should emphasize the outstanding part played in this particular by Democrat; for Mr. Young is a Democrat. The European settlement is too vast a project for any one man to be given even in an approx innate degree che major portion of the credit. But in the working out of the plan which has so triumphantly brought forth the approval of all concerned, the one who faced the task undismayed and wrought it's intimate details in masterly manner should not go unrewarded by his due measure of acclaim.
 Who is this Owen D. Young, this Dem- ocrat who has so modestly and self-effac- ingly achieved an international working basis for the rehabilitation of Germany? Who is this man whose name has scarcely been mentioned in connection with that great plan, and who yet is given by the committee chairman the chief credit for the plans merit and success? Was his selection on this committee an accident, and was his fitness for the task only guessed at?
 On the contrary, MT. Young, now in the full prime of life, is man of af- fairs. By profession a lawyer, he has been and is on the directorships of large concerns, many of them public utilities, even as MT. Dawes himself. In addition to other important positions, he is a di- rector of the federal reserve bank of New York, of the General Motors Cor poration, of the General Electric Com pany, and of the International Chamber of Commerce. He is a trustee of St. Lawrence University and was a member of President Wilson's second industrial conference. His position in the business world is so fixed and assured that his name is influential and his opinion sought after in affairs of the greatest and most far-reaching moment.
 His legal equipment was indispensable to the observation of the proper formal ities in developing the outlines of the plan, and his knowledge of business prac- tices and the principles that underlie successful national policies of finance and trade was essential to the develop ment of a program of such soundness that the foremost economic experts of the world not only could not find any thing therein to criticize, but actually gave it their involuntary and enthus- iastic endorsement.
 And so, when in the future there shall be Republican effort to make it appear that without the services of Mir. Dawes the affairs of Europe would still be in hopeless plight, let the Democrats re- member, and say, that this distinction must be shared at least equally with MT. Young, a Democrat, and that if there is inequality in thus dividing the honors evenly the magnanirnity is altogether on the side of MT. Young. MT. Dawes him self was the first to admit it.
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