The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-08-20
An IMPORTANT MILESTONE
PASSED
minneapolis Tribune)


has been passed The heads OF
the interested governments have
signed the protocol providing the |
means for putting the Dawes plan
into effect. The outlook for Euro
pean recovery is, as result,
brighter than it has been at any
time within the past five years.
We should be careful not to |
jump to conclusions and assume
that the matter is settled. The
French Parliament must still give
its endorsement to NJ. Herrlot.
The German Reichstag must still
give it's endorsement to Chancellor
Marx. But. without attempting to
minimize the opposition which is
bound to develop in both these
parliamentary bodies, we think 1t
unlikely that either would dare to
torpedo the agreement. 1t is, after
all, Europe's only hope.
Herriot and Marx are to be con-
graduated upon the spirit IN
which they conducted the negot!-
ations. Each had to make sacrl-
fees and each did make sacrifices.
And each made them knowing that
he was counting bitter attack ana
even retirement from political life:
Each had a nice appreciation OF
the others position and went TO
the uttermost extreme in subordl-
Mating mere nationalist vanity to
| the ideal Of the common interna--
tional good.
Both Herriot and Marx had to
give up a great deal more than
either Of their respective nations
care to give up. That the agree
ment was essentially fair is proved
bv the fact that Paris and Berlin
are alike cool towards it. Were
Paris jubilant and Berlin indig-
nant, or Berlin jubilant and Paris
indignant, we would know that
something other than "even- hand :
ca Justice" had been melted out.
But. as it is, each country, while
feeling no enthusiasm for the
agreement, appears resigned to it..
Roughly speaking, France has
had to abandon the attitude of act
ing as Germany's jailer. France
has insisted that she should be
sole Judge of Germany's default
ings and that she should punish
them when she saw fit and in any
way she saw fit. The chief dan
ger of this lay in the fact that
France was as free to punish Ger
many for imaginary defaultings as
for real defaultings. With the
Dawes plan in effect, Germany
cannot be punished for imaginary
defaultings. The Allies mus
have final voice in determining
whether the defaultings are real OF
, imaginary. An elaborate machln
cry has been set up which makes
it impossible for France to remain
the irresponsible master of Ger
many. Yet France is safeguarded
If she has any genuine cas-
against Germany, the Allies will
I see to it that the proper and pro
:. rcrtionate sanctions and penaltle
! are applied. Germany, meanwhile
} is insured justice. Should she fal
= to live up to the spirit of tn
i, Dawes agreement, she will be tax
= en- to task, but she has nothing t.
i worry about as long as she en-
t deavOrs faithfully to carry out tn
f provisions. Instead of being &C
! countable to France alone, Ger
= many, from now on, will be &C
l ccuntable, so to speak, to a boar
e of directOrs-and board of dlrec
o tors not unsympathetic to hel
France must cease being tyrannlca
and destructionist and German
t must cease being recalcitrant an
i obstructionist.
Brilliant work has been done b
the London conference. The 10
- of smoothing out difficultie
which looked insurmountable ha
been successfully despatched. N
one unfamiliar with the compl
Gated skein of contradictory sus
" possibilities which had to be KEY
in mind could begin to understan
the immensely of the task set %
l. fore the delegates. American IL
fuence played an extremely in
% portant part in helping thlns
~ along, and American ingenuity
to be given the credit for havin
found the way out of more tina
h one deadlock which looked insol'
BILE. We in the Northwest are Ell
titled to feel special pride in tn
!; fact that Amba ssador Kellogg rel
resented his country so we'll an
70 acquitted himself so handsomely
a conference of such far-reachlr
e magnitude. The Dawes plan b.
l. gins to loom up as one of the mo
impressive accomplishments
- modern times. The dawn OF a ne
- era appears to be breaking.