Evening star., 1924-03-23
ri OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
TX HEN Gen, Charles c. Dawes

N/ approached the general
v v reparations problem in
Europe. with the view of
reaching a solution and making pos
sible restoration of the economic.
financial and commercial life of the
continent he did so with a positive
attitude, but, nevertheless, he kept
his fingers crossed behind him.
Gen. Dawes knew, as all acquainted
with the varying tides of European
politics know, it matters little how
four-square any proposal may be.
how absolutely vital it may be to the
life and progress of peoples gener-
ally, it first must be shaped to the
ideas and nationalistic political de-
sires of statesmen who may be in
poWer at the moment. In case there
are far-visioned leaders all is we'll.
n case the perspective of statesmen
IS circumscribed by prejudices which
run rampant through the entire Eu-
ropean fabric. then all is not well
tach political leader is governed by
old tenets of party. Should he con-
troll governments there always must
ne adjustment of party creed with
national necessity Oftentimes il is
done without hindrance to pressing
problems. More often, however, the
psychological moment for action and
complete fruition of proposals is lost
IN the maze of expedient procrasti-
hation.
Politicians Get in Work.
Ten. Dawes financial experts start
ed with rush. They overrode. rough
shod, many of the first puny OBJ
sIacies placed in their way. But dur
ing the time of their consideration of
the far-reaching questions involved
In the general problem of establish
ing Germany's ability to pay and
methods by which she may do so the
holl-weevils of European politics
nave peen permitted to get in their
work At the present juncture il
"nuid appear that ii will be June or
.uiy hefore anything tangible comes
out OF the financial commission's
Nat urally. during the past two
weeks with a high stack
81 Facts and figures before them Tho
'xPerts have found it difficult TO
square these with necessities of the
"ccasSion. Work as a result has henn
slowed up. but il generally has heen
conceded that this will be coInpleted
before another fortnight has rolled
"E. however, delays have fattened
me appetlties of those who would
press for consideration and adop-
tion. correllaries to the main prob
iemS-side issues which NAV haz-
ARD final consideration and adoption
noush 1t was first announced that
adopted by all the allied countries in
toto, IL nevertheless has deyeloped
tnat the experts believe their reporr
VIII be riddled and to it attached
nfany ey anne ndments, just as the most,
collect myriads of barnacles
Pncts With foophoIes.
Any tentative European d agreement
framed TO meet exigencies of any
situation, perforce by habit. must
be proporely amended, properly di-
geSted and made to carry in some
small phase the view point of con-
Hictins political elements in all the
powers sisnatory to it. AS conse-
quence. as in the case of the treaty
Of Versailles, oftentimes the pacts
are so loosely worded as to permit
varying interpretations in various
countries. When an agreement or pact
IS signed without SOME clause or
clauses permitting governmental in
terpreta ton in face of dozens of
possible or impossible CONTINGENCIES
1hen 1t is not considered good
document While European nations in
dealings among themselves like to
deliberate, ponder, then with flourish
of trumpets sign on the dotted line
1t is quite the thing in governmental
.'ircleS to practice ingenuity in find
ing loopholes in previously loudly.
hailed agreements. It's all a part of
European statescraft and Gen. Dawes
knowing this, likewise knew that If
he was to achieve all that he set out
70 achieve, first he must Hell and
Maria" his way through obstructions
in the hope that his determination
would carry solution of the whole
problem into the realms of safety and
away from the political bean shooters
naturally clustered about the sessions
of the financial experts
MixEfvinE Is Revealed.
On the very eve of a report from
the financial experts, when it would
appear that but little stands in the
way of adoption of the major features