The Washington times., 1931-12-14


now since we began hearing
about German reparations, and
many of us wondered why GER
tain bankers we're so eager to
have the reparationS suspend.
ed. And now, between the
French Laval, who says no
and the German Hitler, who
says yes, we learn that if the
reparations are not paid, the
private debts will be paid, and
vice versa. People tell me that
the private loans no lNnger
are in the hands of the banks
they are in the hands of
individual investors. All right.
But they were issued through
banks, weren't they?
Why the Secret?
II tell you I'm not an
economist. I don't know
whether it could be better for
us to have the debt paid
(Which means that Germany
will have to meet its repara-
tionS) or better for us to have
private debts paid, or neither.
or both. But l feel that the
choice ought to have been
made public some time ago.
Until this year talk of repara-
tions and the allied debt has
been on a high moral plane
all about capacity to pay,
duty to the allies and who
won the war. Now all that
turns out hooey. For five
years the simple facts we're
logged over. l wonder why"
Not Conspiracy
don't know. Mr.. Walters.
The one thing 1 try to discard
is the idea of conspiracy.
1t seems to me that the limits
of human stupidity are so wide
that we hardly need to add the
imputations of deliberate wick.
edness. 1t seems perfectly
natural to me that the French
should be consolidating their
position as the great Euro
pean power; for 40 years they
cherished the idea of revenge
for four years they fought,
for 10 years they imagined
that the fruits of their Victory
would turn sour in their
mouths; and then suddenly the
sun rose for them and they
are as mighty as they were
under the great Louis and the
great Napoleon. 1t is an ap-
palling stupidity for them to
imagine that they can be per-
manently prosperous at the
expense Of all other nations;
but good practical politics as
sures them that they can get
in five or 10 swell years.
Business Gods
I feel the same way about
our business men They have
had 20 years of adulation. The
young Mr.. Mellon putting lit
erature away as childish
dream and going into banking.
is only doing what millions of
American youths did in the
past three decsdes-paying
tribute to money and business
as the grandest of the national
gods. We called our men of
business captains and kings;
we applied to them terms usual
ly reserved for royalty and the
great religious leaders. And for
them the sun set. Naturally,
they are making desperate ef-
forts to pretend that things
aren't so. Naturally, they want
things to get better of them
selves. When Mr.. Hearst pro-
posed an investment of five
billion dollars, they protested.
naturally, that it was too early
or too late. Naturally, Mr..
Hoover asks that the tariff be
let alone because to tinker with
it might disturb business. dis
turb what?)
Thanks to Radicals
The world has been better
informed in recent years than
ever before. We owe a great
deal to the deSpised press of
radical organizations: we owe
something to every agitator,
even to those who exaggerate
and declaim and lie. because
they have forced us nearer the
truth. We owe most to the ex-
cessive propaganda Of the war,
and a lot to a few people who
do not want to destroy our
form of society. but want to de-