The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-07
PRESS ON EUROPE's FUTURE

oI Ine experts plan TOT the renaDlllIa- tion of that country and the settlement of separations has caused the whole com mercial world to heave a sigh of relief. In addition to Germany's attitude of sullen defiance of the Versailles treaty was a definite policy of finance that forbade any possible redemption of her pledges. Whether this policy was delib- crate or the result of mismanagement, it has been disastrous. Even the Germans themselves lost their former swagger and became anxious for their future. Perhaps their unhappy experience was the necessary preliminary to their rec ognition of the intelligence of outsiders and to their own dependence upon oth- CTS. It took long and a strenuous pe- riod of disillusionment to rid the Ger mans of their deeply instilled idea of their self-sufficiency and their long-her- aided independence of other nations. Now that their recognition of their far reaching dependence upon the worlds respect and good will is established, it is hoped that their further rehabilitation will be more easily accomplished
 As the Atlanta Constitution views the situation: "The acceptance of all the covenants by the necessary two-thirds vote shows a remarkable unanimity of thought and strengthens confidence in the stabilization of Germany along strong democratic lines more than any thing that has happened since the arHmis- tice. The work of rehabilitation should now begin, and in the meantime the force of Americas cooperation has been fully established. Indeed, the necessity for American cooperation in interra- tional affairs, for the economic welfare nf +bo orIJ Si1 1oI but proved" The politics of the result in Germany is thus discussed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune: Evidently the German nationalists, when the mo- ment of final decision arrived, accepted prudence as the better part of valor They and their temporary allies, the com munists, stirred up no end of commotion during debate on the validating bills. But the governments warning that de- feat of these measures would bring dis solution of the reichstag and an appeal to the country through a new election, constituted a challenge they dared not accept"
 As to Frances attitude the Louisville Courier-Journa remarks: "1t is realized that the London agreement, good or bad, cannot be altered and the best thing France can do is to give Germany an- other chance. It is felt in Paris that, all things considered, the arrangement is greatly to Germany's advantage. The Poincare view is that, until the sixteen billion marks of debenture are placed, France has nothing but promises and is, therefore, too trustful in evacuating the Ruhr so soon. The view of the rest of the world, however, is optimistic, on the whole"
 With more exuberance than fact the New York Herald Tribune exclaims: "Without binding the hands of the na- ton, with no sacrifice of our national independence and with no entanglement in the local concerns of Europe, this aid has been given. A problem that had become the prey of passion and politics in the senate and in the minds of the people was deftly transferred to the realm of economies and common sense; and in their name solution was found" What the Herald-Tribune does not stress is that the politics was injected and played by Republican senators, and that their tactics delayed for more than four years the consummation of pro- gram based on economies and common sense. As the Chicago News sagely observes: "The successive and striking victories of the experts impartial pro- gram are a splendid augury. Europe at last is travelling the road to peace, rehabilitation and progress"
 The manner in which other nations will greet the inception of the experts plan is discussed by the Washington Post: "The nations will go more than half way in welcoming Germany back to peaceful and friendly association. The United States especially will not harbor vindictiveness. The war is over. Let 1t stay over. The surest method of achiev- ing and maintaining peace in this world is to extinguish bad feeling after war has been ended. Peace is not worth much if it is mere formality, with men, tai reservations of hatred and revenge. Doubtless a strong element ln France and another in Germany will be hard to reconcile to true peace, but the influ- ence of time, commerce and prosperity will be very powerful in bringing the Germans and French together in friend ship"
 The New York Post somewhat loses patience with German obstructionists, and declares: "It is rather absurd that the London agreements should have met with more opposition in Germany than in any other country. To Germany it is in the nature of a godsend; it is as if some international fairy godmother had waved her wand over the land of the Teutons and loosed their economic chains" It is probable, however, that the German opposition was self-seeking, and hoped to make some sort of political capital out of the plans defeat. In fact, according to the Detroit Free Press: "The Deutsch party leaders, one may be quite sure, wouldn't have dreamed of surrendering to the chancellor's dissolu- ton ultimatum had they even the mar rowest ground for supposing that the war temper of the people was still ablaze. Had they found enough of the fires of revenge smouldering. among the voting masses, they would have been ready, even eager, to provoke another general election and warm their martial hearts at the flame"
 Fortunately, the rank and file of the