The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-01-12
Box Award
to Play Part
in Politics
Dawes Report on Rcparations
Will Play Big Part in De-
Gliding Future Course
of United States.
Senators to Fight Plan
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Washing tO1l, jail. -. = olilicIdhs
are speculating excitedly on how far
the Box peace award is going to bring
the broad question of our relations
to Europe into the present session
of congress and the coming presiden-
tial campaign. With varying degrees
of hope or apprehension, depending
on the point of view, they agree it
will. They say that the attitude of
America toward European questions
is likely to be determined for a con-
siderable time by the immediate de-
velcpments attending the Box peace
award, plus the outcome of one other
development in the same field temper
arly eclipsed by the volume of news
and comment attending the award.
This development is the presence in
Europe of two Americans, Charles
Dawes and owen Young, in an effort
to help solve the reparations prob
lem. Washington generally feels that
the personalities of these two men,
especially of Dawes, coupled with the
condition. that they are in Europe not
at Americas initiative, but upon
Europe's request and invitation, to-
gether with the other circumstances,
compose a situation such that IL they
are not able to achieve anything,
America must conclude even though
regretfully, that we might as well
wash our hands OF the whole thing.
Expect Much From Dawes.
What Washington expects from
General Dawes, because of its ac-
oualntance with him, is definiteness
"a show down and a clear statement
of facts. II he comes home and says,
as he would say in the event Of an
unfavorable outcome, Nothing doing
and gives, as he would give, the rea-
sons why and the persons responsible,
both official Washington and America
Z generally will pretty surely say the
same thing and proceed to forget
Europe as an American political and
economic problem for some time to
come, so far as that is possible. On
the other hand, the present sessions
in Paris may end in an attempted
solution. Whether America should
endorse ssh solution would then
he added to the Box peace award as
an issue of foreign relations In Amer
lean politics.
II should be added that the best
Judgment in Washington is that the
reparations problem is at last ripe
for solution, and that something satis-
factory will comee out of the present
sessions at Paris.
As to the Box award, ii is practic-
ally certain to be attended by political
DEVELOPMENTS. That was the inten-
ton. and that is the course 1t will
take. There is sufficient indication
of this in the language of the original
announcement, which included these
sentences:
Hard Fight Assured.
"The purpose of the award is two
fold; first. to produce a plan, and sec
ondly. to insure, so far as may be,
that II will be put into operation The
second $4,000 will be paid to the au-
thor IL and when the plan, in sub
stance and intent. is approved by the
United States senate; or II and when
tho Jury of award decides that an ade-
quate degree of popular support has
been demonstrated for the winning
plan"
The same group of republican ir-
reconcilables, who made the fight
'Nsgainst the league OF nations, are
fully determined to make an equally
resolute fight against this modifica'
ton of II. To predict the result Of the
fight In advance of knowledge of how
the referendum goes would seem fu
tile.
Finds Popular Favor.
The common expectation Ii that the
popular referendum will be over
wheImingly favorable to the plan
Nevertheless. the irreconcilables say
they will fight 1t even IL four-fifths
of the entire population goes on rec
ord In favor of it. They have the
same mental attitude Of jeering thai
they had five years ago. They say
that il they could beat Woodrow VII
son, they can beat Edward Box. They
say they will make the Box peact
award as ridiculous as the Ford peace
ship.
Some Of the old familiar tactics oi
fighting by innuendo are already un
der way. The weakness OF Mr.. Box
and the friends of the plan is that sc
far as has yet appeared, they have nt
politicians on their side who are al
resolute in leadership or as ruthless
In political combat as the irreconcil
ables are. When the irreconcilable.
fight, all rules are off and 1t Is cave
man politics. The irreconcilablel
have one immense advantage in tha
they are entrenched In the powerful
foreign relations committee OF th
senate.
Copyright. 1s24)