Evening star., 1925-05-04

or less intangible: ii involves. in par
ticular, changed attitude of mind,
for what the war destroyed was not
only human lives, dreadful as was the
toll. nor property, nor the forces of
government. II destroyed for the mo-
ment belief in one another's good
faith, and good faith is the cement
which binds civilization together.
Without it, units. whether individual
or national. simply fail apart.
IF human society is to function
again as a whole that good faith must
at least be assumed.
Peace cannot come from without.
il must come from within.
Now, we in America, as you know
are not wholly without experience IN
the kind of problems that have been
tormenting Europe. We know the
meaning of the wreckage and devasta
tion a great war brings in its train.
we know what it means to borrow
capital under difficult conditions: We
know the meaning of deprecated
money, for we saw our paper dollar
shrink in value until it took almost
three of those dollars to buy one gold
dollar.
L. 5. Aid Practical.
I'VE know wholly the natural Un-
happy conditions create and foster.
And that knowledge naturally enough
has taught US to look upon the after
math of the war in Europe sympa
thetically and with an honest desire
10 help. But. we. too. are a practical
people. When we lent our savings to
make it possible for the peoples Of
Central Europe TO get to work. it was
because we knew that only in this
way could Europe as a whole be made
to function economically.
When we lent our savings to rebuild
the markets which had been destroyed
il was because We knew that in no
other way could they again be en-
joyed. That was necessary in the be
ginning: that was mere common sense.
If we went at the job with d certain
moral earnestness let that go TO our
credit
1T is natural for US to assume that
those who have suffered so much
from war should seek a settlement
which so far as is humanity possible
should be free from conditions leading
directly to war. To that end, and in
that spirit. we have helped. But we
have never forgotten that there was a
limit beyond which we could not GO.
Says Guarantees Are Vital.
ne IulI measure oI american nelp-
fulneSS can be obtained only when the
American people are assured that the
time for destructive methods and poll
cies has passed, and that the time for
peaceful upbuilding has come.
They are asking themselves if that
| time has in fact arrived. And that
question they cannot today answer
The answer must be given to them.
1t must come from the peoples of
! NIrp-f In oil l. Il
cision.
IF the answer is peace. then you
may be sure that America will help
to her generous utmost. But if
which God forbid-that answer shall
continue confused and doubtful. then
l fear that those helpful processes
which are now in motion must in
evitably cease.
I'VE are not as people interested
in making speculative advances. We
can undertake to help only those who
try to help themselves. And in say
ing this we are not thinking specif
1cally of any one nation, but rather
of situation in which all are alike
involved.
Says L. $. Wants Real Peace.
Now, with the working out of that
problem in its details the American
people have no will or desire to med
die. They recognize that into it fac
tors enter with which they are only in
directly concerned. Their geographical
position alone frees them from con
siderations which other nations must
regard. They offer no advice. But
l may say to you that they hope and
that they fervently pray that a peace
may soon be reached-not a peace of
mere contriVance and arrangement
based primarily on force, for that
would merely be the prelude to an
other war, but a peace which contains
the elements of permanency-a peace
which will deserve and receive the
moral support of mankind because it
is just.
"And they believe that such a peace
can come in only one way. 1t must be
based upon the assumption of good
faith by all who participate in it. The
assumption may be larger, or it my
be smaller. but in preparation as men
seek to eliminate it altogether their
work will be in vain. For now, as
always, peace can come only through
mutual and hopeful endeavor. Peace
is an adventure in faith.
Let me again express my warm and
grateful appreciation of your gener-
Gus hospitality. Never before, / think,
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