Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-25
BY F. STALLFORTH,

NEW YORK, July 25.-The eco
nomic crisis, which has extended to
every part Of the world during the past
Is months, has had the stimulating eff
feet of forcing mankind to face the
present situation squarely. That Is the
one saving grace Of the depression.
Such experiences are sent to try us.
They may hamper and harm us, but
they also inspire a determination to
overcome our difficulties and even
arouse us to great achievements.
The distress caused by the crisis may
| in the end be beneficial II the nations
can be induced to see things from a
new and different angie, and CONSIDER
their own positions more critically tnan
| they were wont to do during periods OF
unbroken prosperity. Now that the
crisis has assumed world proportions,
difficulties have become Of mutual in
terest, and national problems, being
much more apparent, command the at
tention not only of the responsible Lead
ers, but also of the mass OF the people:
| Poverty and distress, now so widespread
/ that they do not stop at frontiers, can
not be overcome by government meas
ures alone, but require the co-operat on
! of all the nations concerned. Inc
| present urgent p oblems aye not all que
! to the world crisis. of course, but thcy
! have been accumulated by it and
brought into the foreground No DOUBT
they originated at least in part, IN tne
Great War, but more especially in the
economic and technical changes intro
duced by the last generation.
world Economics"
Throughout the past century the IN
4 rN1nrnhnnhlCH
been steadily increasing, and this mas
led to closer relationships than ever
before. In the course of time "worlo
economics" or the interdependence OF
| the various national economic systems
| has come into being. The pest eVi-
dence of this increasing interdepeno,,
ence is the marked development OF all
means of communication. Great Coull-
tries seem to have shrunk to small pro-
portions owing to the extension "a
| transcontinental railway lines. ana eS-
neciallv with the air services, which
have reduced long distances to mat
| ter of a few hours flight. Telegraph
| and wireless communications also INK
the nations together by broadcastlne
news of important events. These re-
markable changes are now so accepVeo
that they have become commonplace.
The interdependence OF the various
looked. as it profoundly anects iNnls
conditions in. every country. A clvlllzeo
! nation can no longer live to itself; ts
| social fabric in each case Is no longer
confined within its own boundaries, pu'
! extends its tentacleS all over the Worlo.
! This is the result of continual contacts
in the form of mercantile exchange Ille
! credit system, the purchase OF raw ma
| terials, etc. The daily lie OF eacn III
| intimately
| ali other nations, or in other words the
welfare Of each nation Is inseparaoly
| hound ND with the rest, linked TO them
for better or worse.
| Strange to say, this fact is not gener-
ally realized; indeed its recognltlon Is
gaining ground very slowly. NoCnlIls
less than a world economic Crisis Cal,
Drive home to mankind the exlstenSe "a
world economics, and We are stll lar
from a frank acknowledgment OF TINS
new idea. This new theory is not easy
to accept as 1t conflicts with the OLD
cherished attitude toward the relation
ship of nations. The process OF aoapta- :,
tion Is bound to be long, difficult and
| tiresome, especially If 1t Is to mean a
complete reorganization OF international
relationships, both politically and eco
| nomically.
Solution Is Difficult
The demands of world economics are
so totally different from the old-shall
we saw ld-fashioned?-polit meth
DDS that the solution of existing prob
| lens is exceedingly dimcult. IL is
| struggle between deep-rooted TRADITIONS
| and the needs of an entirely new Sltua-
ton. This discrI pancy OF thougnt ap-
| plies not only to each nation. but almost
| to each individual. We cannot dismiss
| the matter simply by stating that some
nations. will adopt one attitude ana
some the reverse, although obviously
| the tendency in certain countries 10
| cling to their traditions Of rivalry IS
stronger than their ability to recognize
| the necessity for cooperation.
That progress is impossible on the
principle of pure rivalry Is evident 10
J any one capable Of considering with an
Unbiased mind the existing conditions IN
Europe. This fact must be accepted py
| all nations Those in Europe are con-
| fined within a relatively small area, and
! cooperation is inevitable. Yet Tor THIS
very reason cooperation Is all the more
! dificult. for controversies become mten-
sified the moment that a policy Is put
into practice. The traditions OF his
tory-at times an asset no doubt-and
! the bitterness still lingering from the
World War impede progress, although
|
sible incentive to strive against the re-
currence Of such a terrible experience.
The interdependence of the various
nations Of the world is particularly true
of Europe. In the first place, the Eu-
ropean nations are their own best Gus
toners, as was fully realized before the
war, when it was often remarked that
an Anglo-German war was Impossible
for this reason alone. Nevertheless, the
war did take place. The curse OF un.
employment, from which ENGLAND ana
Germany especially are suffering, Is
simply the revenge for the serious m
juries done to the law of economic in
Independence during the war. If this
is true Of England and Germany, 1t Is
equally true Of Europe as a whole,
which undeniably forms an economic
unit in spite of innumerable customs
barriers. These tariffs attempt to ham
per international trade in order to
bring about national isolation, or at
least nominal isolation. In trifiing
matters this policy Is merely rather
ridiculous, but in important affairs the
consequences may be serious. The vital
question arises as to whether the Solu-
ton should be sought according to the
traditions Of isolation and rivalry or In
the more modern spirit Of cooperation
between nations which are closely re-
lated. Viewed from this angle, prob
lens which hitherto appeared to be
simply the aftermath of the war or Of
European concern increase in import
ance. The methods adopted for their
solution affects the future development
not only Of Europe, but Of all the world.
The problems which are most essential
to the welfare of the world today may
be summed up under three heads-rep-
arationS, tariffs and disarmament