The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-02-13

'eneral anxiety"
The man who said this to me was
Hon. Bertrand Russell, famous au-
thor of many standard works on phil
osophy, sociology, and the higher
mathematics typical example of
the men with frst-class brains who
have joined the British Labor Party
and given it much of it's intellectual
driving power. He is coming shortly
to America on a lecture tour.
America" said Russell. began to
be responsible for the attitude of
France shortly following the Treaty
Of Versailles.
Along Different Lig3es
THE ways Of England and the ways
Of France have been divergent since
the conclusion of the treaty. The war
being over, England thought the thing
to do was to get back to work and to
business. She taxed her people enor
mously, She balanced her budget. She
demobilized her big armies and went a
long way toward disarmament. She
considered herself in honor bound to
hearken to Americas demand for pay
ment Of money advanced to her and
came to an agreement with your gov
eminent for the payment Of principal
and interest.
France has not greatly taxed her
people and has not really balanced
her budgets. She has maintained the
most powerful army and the greatest
military air fleet in the world. Pro
testing she urgently needed the money
Germany owed her for PREPARATIONS,
France has gone a long way toward
making such payments utterly lmpos-
sible. and towards destroying Ger
many. by juggl ng the plebiscite re-
suits in Upper Silesia and by march
ing into the Ruhr and utterly democrat
izlng and partially destroying the
fabric of the greatest Industrial region
OF the world.
Americas Responsibility
How is America responsible?
by the mere fact she has treated
England in one way and France in
another.
America demanded England pay
her debts. And I don't blame her.
1 have never had much sympathy
with those who have said America
should forgive Europe the debts she
owes. Europe has not behaved in
such a way as to deserve such treat
ment.
But America has demanded
in q drastic and downright way France
should pay her debts. II America had
done so. the whole structure France
has built up would tumble like the
house OF cards 1t Is"
But" I objected, suppose my Gov
eminent asked France FOR the money
and France. pointing to her devastat-
ed regions. said she could not pay un-
til she got paid by Germany, what
then2"
Mr.. Russell replied:
Your Government could very
rightly point out France was finding
the money for the upkeep OF an army
OF over 500. GOO men; that she was
sending her officers down into the
jungles Of Senegal and drafting black
men. training them - soldiers and
shipping them to the Rhine: that she
was maintaining on a war footing a
tremendous ar meet AAdA Sh0 was
pouring money into the Golfers OF
Poland. Czecho-Slovakia, Jugo-Slavta
and Roumania, not for the extension
OF peaceful commerce, not for the re-
pair OF the ravages of war, but to
arm the Poles. Czechs, Serbs and Rou-
manians to the teeth.
America could say to France: Cut
out all his useless and wicked waste
of money and apply it to the payment
Of your debt
lone of tow things would happen.
France would, like England, begin
paying off what she owed you n In
that case would nave to cut down her
armies. withdraw from Germany n
allow the continent to settle to peace
and 70 work. or she would refuse to
pay you, in which case she would be
in the position of an avowed bankrupt
who could not or would not pay its
debts"