Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
EUROPE IS EXPECTING US
TO MAKE CUTN WAR DEBT
Comment Based on Belief That Return
Courtesy" Is Due for Acceptance
of Kellogg Treaty.

has happened except that the signatory
powers to the Kellogg resolution have
repeated in a much less drastic form
the pledge which they took in joining
the League, while the United States,
which refuses to take the pledge under
those circumstances, has at last brought
itself to renounce war
This European view has theoretical
warrant in that in point of fact this is
all that has actually happened. Every
other nation Signatory to the Kellogg
resolution remains just as free to go to
war now as before. All the forms of war
which we're legal and permissible before
the Kellogg resolution stand unaffected.
But We have taken pledge for the
first time.
U. s. Senate Action Discussed.
There is in Europe a certain amount
of speculation as to what the United
States Senate will do with the Kellogg
proposal, but the interest is one based
upon curiosity rather than concern.
Manifestly, those Europeans who see In
the American proposal the evidence Of
profound change in American opinion
and policy and the promise Of speedy
and intimate association between the
United Staets Government and Euro
pean countries would be disappointed
If the action of the Senate should give
the lie to all their con lecture.
1t is true, as many have already point
ed out, that rejection of the Kellogg
resolution by the Senate would make
the United States Government ridicu-
Gus. because 1t would advertise the fact
that no proposal made by the State De-
| partment had any real foundation in
| fact. But the truth is that since the
League OF Nations experience, since the
| reputation Of President Wilson's sigma
ture TO the treaty of Versailles and the
treaty OF insurance guaranteeing French
security, Europe has attached very lit-
| tie importance to the executive as con-
| trasted with the legislative branch of
/ our Government.
BY contrast. however. until the
United States is prepared to sit down
/ at table with the other great powers
/ and assume responsibilities and accent
| contracts binding it to assist in the
maintenance Of peace. even by arms IL
necessary. Europe is not going to take
very seriously any project for insuring
| peace which efnerges from Washington.
/ And the reason for that is that Europe
does not believe that peace can be in
| sured by empty words or by mere reso-
buttons which with little difficulty are
transformed into scraps Of paper r.
Case oA emergency.
Amusing Spectacle Presented.
/ So today you have the amusing sps.
tacle OF the American comment whiCl4
insists that thanks to the Kellogg reso-
luton the European powers have been
partly led and partly persuaded to re-
nounce war as a matter Of policy, bal
anced by European conviction that at
last the United States has been maneu-
vered into taking pledges against max
ing war. which were taken by the
League states years ago
What Is going To be interesting to
watch is the American reaction when,
next year, European press and public
opinion begin to suggest that since
the European countries have accepted
American proposals for peace. the
United States must, as q mere action
of decent reciprocity. accept the Euro
pean view in the matter Of allied debts.
For that is what is going to happen
lust as the European acceptance of Mr..
Wilson's fourteen points and his
League OF Nations was followed by a
European demand that IN return the
United States join with European ma
tons in guaranteeing the peace treaties
made in Paris with our Army and Navy.
Criticism of U. S. Continues.
Ever since 1919 Europe has continued
to criticize the United states because It
extracted from Europe acceptance of
| the fourteen points and the League
and then by rejecting both the treaty
and the League deprived Europe of all
remuneration for its acceptance OF
American demands. or more exactly. OF
| Presidents wilson's terms, which
| Europe believed to be American. Now
that it has accepted a new American
proposal. Europe is bound to look for
another American quid pro quo and, TO
put it bluntly, having accepted our
peace proposal. it will expect US to ac-
cept It's debt program.
| In word. in accepting the Kellogg
peace proposal the European publicS
are convinced they have done some
thing for us and they will certainly ex-
| pect that we In turn will be equally
| gracious. II. as seems likely, we are
| not. then we shall be criticized again
as we were after 1920.
tCopyriSht. 1887