Evening star., 1931-12-28
Eur,pe Must Act First.

i
! In an Associated Press statement
which bears every evidence Of authority,
! the altitude of the United States Gov
eminent toward the forthcoming Euro
pcan conference on reparations and
war debss Is set forth with welcome
clarity This country does not expect
to take part in such conference. It's
deliberations and decisions 1t goes
without saying, will be closely observed
at washington, but "Europe's willing
ness to solve her own troubles without
further temporizing and delay seems
! l,..clv now to be ONE the yardstick
which will measure future profTers OF
help"
Between the lines of the Associated
Press elucidaticn CT Americas posi-
ton there is to be read a plain ex-
preas.on of - United States impa-
t.ence with the prolongation Of crisis
and chaos in Europe, at least so far
as its purely financial woes are con-
cerned. When President Hoover inSti-
tuted the cne-year moratorium last
June he had something more in mind
than the relief of a situation which
was rushing to catastrophe. He in
tended the debt holiday to be a period
of grace not only in an economic sense,
as applied to intergoyernmental debts,
but a breathing spell in which Europe
would make herculean effort to COM
pose its political chickering's.
1t has long been the Presidents view
tLat these continual suspicious and con-
flicts are the basic excise tor tie main
tenanCe OF heavy armaments; that the
cost of these armaments lies at the
root of Europe's economic distress, and
that until the Vicious circle is broken
wnele it begins re5.orGVion OF conf
dence and stability cannot be expected.
President Hoover and the American
people look at Europe at this turn OF
the year, a full six months after the in
ception of the moratorium, and what
do they see? They see continent still
hopelessly divided against itself. They
see intransigeance everywhere. They
see the Franco-German feud entering
upon another twelvemonth of apparent
inSoIubility. They see Italy and France
as lar apart on naval agreement AS
when they agreed to disagree at the
London Conference in March, 1880.
They see Poland and Germany at con-
tinung loggerheads over the Polish
Corridor and East Prussia. They see
Jugoslavia and Italy viewing each other
with anxious uncertainty. They see the
Franco-Italian colonial situation in
North Africa bristling with peril. They
see q Germany struggling against bank
ruptcy and all but formally demanding
cancellation OF reparationS. They see
virtually the rest OF Europe ciamoring
that if reparations disappear, all war
debts must be wiped out, including the
billions owing to the United States
Treasury.
These are the views Of Europe which
the President of the United States and
its citizens envisage as they scan
the world that lies beyond the
Atlantic. 1t is not a pretty pic
ture that presents itself to American
gaze. 1t harmonizeS not at all with
the spirit Of good will toward men that
traditionally marks this holiday season.
But by that law of self-preservation
which governs nations as well as ma
ture, the United States cannot in con-
science or self-respect intrude anew its
powerful helpfulness to a Europe disin-
chned or incapable Of setting its own
house in reasonable order.
The American Congress will shortly
reaSsemble after the holidays in much
the same mood in which it adjourned
"a mood Of almost sullen Indifference
to the turmoils and tantrums Of Europe.
House and Senate undoubtedly reflect
ed widespread popular sentiment in the
abroad" exhibition they recently
staged. Only Europe can change this
mood. And only performance, not
protestation, can work a change that
will compel a readjustment of Ameri-
cas- attitude. II jocularity in so grave
a situation is permissible, Americans,
as to Europe, are all from Missouri. "
They are waiting to be shown"