Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-23
DAILY kENNEBEc JOURNAL. WEDNESDAY. APRIL %, 1924.

this time was distinctly q world ser
vice. America made its sacrifice 10,
what IT believed was the cause O,
Righteousness.
The sacrifices made on these occa.
sions, which resulted in a benefit IL
others, resulted likewise in a benefi,
70 ourselves. Even the evil effects
wnlcn always arise from war and 1t:
aftermath have only tempered, no,
obiiterated, these results. A flow OF
material resources set in toward oui
country, which Is still going on. The
general standards Of living were
raised. In the resulting plenty many
OF the old hardships Of existence were
removed. Our country came into q
position where it had a greatly in.
creased opportunity for world leader.
snip. In moral power It took q higher
rank.
At the Treaty Table
There can be little doubt that our
presence at the treaty table softened
the terms and diminished the exac-
tions OF the victorious nations, where
Joint covenants of defensive alliance
were In part substituted for the u.s.
ual territorial transfers. Our coun.
try refused to adhere to the Govern
NAS "a tAC ACdS u0 VI No IONS WITH a
decisive rejection which I regard as
final. Following this came a contin-
uing effort to collect reparations
which the economic chaos of Ger
many after a time caused to be sus.
pended. This resulted in the French
seizure OF the Ruhr, with allied con-
ferences. plans and discussions for
renewing payment of reparations I'M
der some settled method of perma-
nent adjustment. Although indirect
ly interested by reason Of our COM
merce. and more especially because
OF the debts due to us, in having g
European settlement, our government
felt that the fundamental questions
involved in all these discussions were
the direct political concern OF Europe
Our policy relative to the debts due
to US from European countries was
well known, and we refused to submit
them to these discussions. This
never meant that America was no,
willing to lend its assistance to the
solution Of the European problem in
any way that did not involve US in
their purely political controversies,
whenever opportunity presented a
plan that promised to be just and
effective. But we realized that all
came to q state of mind where they
saw the need to make concessions
and accept friendly counsel.
The American Proposal
In December of the year of 1922 our
Secretary of State, Mr.. Hughes, set
out the American proposal in an ad-
dress which he delivered at New
Haven. That proposal has now be-
come historic. He recognized that
settlement Of the reparations ques-
ton was probably impossible II ap-
preached after the method OF po-
litical problem. 1t was not so much
a question to be dealt with by pub
lie officers or diplomatic agencies,
which must necessarily reflect to a
very marked degree the political state
Of mind of the various countries, but
was represented as one which could
be solved by the application Of pure
business talent and experienced pri-
vate enterprise. To such an effort
of business men, unhampered by
every unnecessary political eonsid-
Grafton, Mr.. Hughes expressed the
belief that competent American citi-
zens in private life would be ready
to lend their assistance. This posi-
ton was consistently maintained