Evening star., 1926-03-22

It's unlikely that the episode pro
voked by Amba ssador Houghton re-
port on the European situation Will
blow over without consequences in a
variety of directions. There are three
distinct angles to the incident. one
is international and may involve Mr..
Houghton's own fortunes. Another
concerns the purely American polit-
ical aspect of the affair. The third
brings up the ever-ticklish question of
the relation of the Washington CORE
spondents with administration news
sources. Dispatches from London
and Paris indicate that Houghton S
extraordinarily plain speaking--as ca
bled TO Europe-has riled British and
French public opinion to the depths.
Old World governments and peoples
are immensely more sensitive to such
things than we are. They have their
being so directly and SO constantly
in an international atmosphere that
events which ordinarily pass unno'
ticed in the United States assume
gigantic importance in European
eyes. OF such a nature undoubtedly
is the gloomy picture of transatlantic
militarism, diplomatic intrigue and
disarmament insincertty which, Eu'
rope hears, Ambassador Houghton
painted on his arrival in Washington
last week. Foreign ENJOYS some
times do not survive the impairment
of their usefulness, which commonly
follows such developments.
- "
If plans that were brewing during
the week end eventuate in action, the
Houghton episode is destined for an
airing on the floor of -, the United
States Senate. Certain fighting mem
bers of the Democratic minority. who
do not consider it a SANDER to be
termed internationally minded, take
undisguised umbrage at the methods
thew think the Coolidge administra-
ton employed on the Houghton occa-
sion. They believe that the Ambas-
sador was thrown into the breach,
either willingly or involuntarlly, to
make anti.league and anti-World
Court propaganda. These Democrats
say they have never been persuaded
that the administration interest in
European cooperation Is 100 per cent
fervid. They believe that Republican
lTTeCOHClldDlcS, ike bOTdU, AdNc
thrown a powerful scare into the
G. o. p. high command on the sub
ject of the League of Nations, and
that the fear of Republican losses in
the 1926 senatorial elections has sud
denly inspired Coolidge leaders with a
desire to get out from under on in
ternatiOnal issues. AS the league ship
was rolling in very heavy seas over
the question of admitting Germany,
and for a day or two looked as IL
she might founder, Democrats dis
Germ a Republican anxiety to back
out Of "entanglements" while there
is still time. Hence, it is argued, the
barrage of pessimism let down by
Ambassador Houghton.
X X X X
Several of the most responsible
newspaper correspondents in Wash
ington, including representatives of
the principal administration organs,
left little doubt that Houghton on
March II made the most depressing
reports on Europe to President Cool
idge and Secretary Kellogg. One Of
them went the length of asserting that
the Ambassador had advised the Presi.
dent to renounce the leagues disarma-
ment conference on account of Eu-
ropes insincerity" on that subject.
The State Departments official
denial" sets forth that the contents of
Mr.. Houghton's reports to his SUI
periors were not disclosed to any "un-
official persons" That, of course, is a
thrust at the Washington news writ
ers who disclosed them to their read
ers. The whole business has cousinly
resemblance to the stir caused in De.
cember, 1924, when the White House,
iAaYinR Guspirsda certain phsegHar