Evening star., 1924-08-18
DA|WES.PLAN FINDS
PLACE IN POLITICS.
Acceptance as Solution of
Europe's Problems Influence
ing U. S. Campaign.
BY DAVID LAWRF;N CE,

Acceptance on all sides of the
Dawes plan for the settlement of the
reparation problem will have its re-
Hex in the political campaign here.
The Republicans are openly claim
ing credit for the achievement offer
ing it as concrete answer to the
charges of their opponents that moth
ing has been done during the Repub-
lican administration toward co-opera
ton with Europe, especially to sta
bilize the situation that has per
sisted in an unsettled state since
the armistice.
Democrats Criticize Delay.
The Democrats do not criticise the
Dawes plan or find flaws with it's pro-
visions in any sense. They take an
entirely different tack, namely that
what has just been done could have
been done and would have been done
under American leadership five years
ago, but for the restrictive policy
of hands off dictated by the irrecon-
cilable sentiment in Congress and the
acquiescence of the Chief Executive.
Although the Republicans feel that
the end achieved is all that will be
noted by the public at large, the
democratic IS are preparing to show that
in the actual writing of the Dawes
plan, Owen Young. chairman of the
General Electric Company. Demo-
crat. played the really important role.
Apart from this there may be some
disclosures which would seek to
prove that the Coolidge administra-
tion declined TO assist in the naming
of the experts who now have made
the Dawes plan possible and that but
for the timely intervention of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States the whole scheme might have
been wrecked on the rocks of irrecon-
cilable opposition to any govern
mental connection with the repara
ton problem. direct or indirect.
Discuss Hughes PROPOSAL.
Secretary Hughes originally pro-
posed that the experts be unofficial
and disconnected from the govern
ment and that the United States
should not be understood either to
sanction or sponsor the proposals but
now that they have turned out well
the American government is openly
claiming credit for their performance,
and the political orators are not hesi-
tating to give the impression that
the Administration sent Gen. Dawes
abroad and that the whole thing was
a part of the administrations official
foreign policy.
To those who championed the cause
or ernational cooperation from the
beginning and who insisted that
American advice and assistance was
essential, the success of the Dawes
plan is vindcation.
View of League Advocates.
The advocates of the league again
are coming forth to say that the
world would have been much nearer
prosperity if America had not remain
cd aloof. but ii membership had been
accepted on the reparations body
Not until the experts went abroad a
few months ago did America send a
iull tedged delegation to tackle the
rc1aration problem.
Mr.. Hughes takes quite the oppo-
site view. namely. that the very sue
cess which has been achieved might
not have been achieved had the Gov
ernment followed a policy of active
, co. operation. He believes the dvi-
sion of opinion which exists in both
political parties with respect to the
measure of American participation in
European affairs would have pro-
duced protracted debate and no set
tlement. Because it was an unotfi-
cial. non governmental body the plan
has been evolved, in his opinion. But
once evolved he sees. of course, no
reason why the American Govern
ment should not lend it's moral sup
operation.
1t was no mere coincidence that Mr..
Hughes was abroad when the big
International conference was holding
it's sessions. His presence at a criti-