San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-02
Shows How Premier Mac
donald Straddles Prob
lens to Retain Power.
NO DEFINED POLICIES
Nations Are Drifting In
stead Of Boldly Meet
ing Settlement.
BY ANDRE TARDIEC.


Paris, March 1.-While Premier
Macdonald's cabinet makes its labor.
ious beginning Premier Theunis falls
and the political situation hardly
seems clearer in Belgium than in
Great Britain.
In both countries there are forces
that neutralize each other and in
terests that clash because of the neces-
sity for forming coalitions to main
tain power.
Britain's government gives the i'm.
precision of being frightened by the
enormity of its task. Governing the
British empire is a tremendous task
for experienced men without count
ing the burden of carrying Labor
own programs of reforms besides. as
Mr.. Macdonald and his colleagues
seem already to realize.
Since they arrived in power they
have not spoken of a capital levy nor
naturalization of mines. That will
be for later, or perhaps never.
As for current problems, the pre-
mier speakers will advise extreme
prudence. If the man in the moon
went to the House of Commons he
might think Mr.. Macdonald, with his
carefully balanced statements was a
conservative or at worst, liberal.
This proves that power brings re-
sponsibility, but it does not make it
any easier for those in power TO
reconcile their opportunism of today
with their doctrinism of yesterday.
An Embarrassing Speech.
Home Secretary Henderson's speech
provides an example. Addressing his
electors he did not hesitate to say
the first task was 70 revise the treaty
I or Versailles fundamentally. Was
this unexpected? No, for the Labor
ties have repeated this necessarily for
four years. But it is embarrassing
because n majority Of European coun-
tries will not hear of revision. Not
only France. Belgium and Italy who
. are interested in reparations, but
Czechoslovakia, Poland and others
who owe their very existence to the
treaty.
Premier Macdonald disavowcd
Hendersons speech in the House of
Commons but the question still re-
maius. Revision was. one of the first
articles of the Labor platform when
it was in opposition. : The question
is. will tie Macdonald government
stand by its principles?
Such Il question goes beyond the
narrow limits of the experts commit
tees, concerning the work of which
rare and vague reports leak to the
press. Moreover it is not a new
question though rejuvenated and ac-
centuated by LabOr's access to pow
err.
For four years there have been
two adverse schools of European
thought-execution and revision.
What is the use, as the London
and Paris governments are now do
ing. of playing hide and seek behind
purely technical questions? Some day
the fundamental question must be de-
cidcd Mr.. Henderson acted like the
infant terrible. but the role of thu
infant terrible is to disconcert its
elders by anticipating their prob
lens.
Belgian Affairs Complicated.
As this decisive settlement is ap-
proachcd. the fall of the Belgian
cabinet is important. The Franco
Belgian customs treaty was the oc-
cason but it is generally recognized
that the general policy underlies the
vote. The general policy was the
fruit of a double compromise between
internal and external policies. In
tcrnally the Theunis cabinet, COM
posed Of Catholic and Liberals, could
only adopt a middle course between
these two extremes.
Externally it had to reconcile union
with France and agreement with
Britain, which was even more diff
ficult. especially in the last year. But
the fall Of NJ. Theunis does not solve
the problem. for these difficulties re-
main and no single party is strong
enough to take power alone. Nor
can Belgium on account of her
geographical situation afford to separ- |
ate either from Britain or France.
So when the great question as be- |
tween execution and revision comes |
mp. it is too early to say what form |
it will take, Belgium's choice will |
have enormous influence on Europe's |
future.
AT present the policies of all the |
allies are ill-defined. The English !
mark time; the Belgians are seeking
a path and the French would have
difficulty in saying exactly where
Premier Poincare is headed. OF
course much OF this uncertainty is
due TO caution for fear of doing dam
age b ytoo positive action. but in
matters of such Importance delay
NAV be more dangerous than a bold
determination TO reach settlement.