Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-20
i. S. ENJOYS GIVEN
WIDE DISCRETION
StimSon and Mellon to Take
Decidedly important
Part at London.

Secretary Of State Stimson and
Secretary OF the Treasury Mellon are
expected here TO play a decidedly i'm
pOrtant part in the conference starting
today in London, according to the As
ISOLATED Press, which quotes high
authority" as explaining that "they
are to give fully Of their advice as to
the way out Of Europe's financial
troubles: They are to have wide dis
cretion."
1t Is declared also that President
Hoover and his advisers do not view
the London gathering as lust another
conference" citing IN support Of this
the careful preparation. the distin-
guished caliber Of the American dele
gates and the constant international
exchanges by telephone.
Finance Comes First.
Primarily. the meeting Of the seven
powers is to consider the economic
plight Of Germany and her Central
European neighbors. Secondarily, 1t Is
expected to take congnizance Of GER
tain problems related to the political
peace and security Of Europe.
Neither Of these two subjects Is at
all new. But both have assumed
aspects which impelled the United
States to send two cabinet ofncials
who will sit at the counsel table in their
own proper persons and according to
their own high rank.
Although the administration has made
no detailed statement of its purposes at
London. President Hoover himself has
disclosed something of what he has In
mind. In his recent public utterances
he has touched on two fundamental
tenets OF the American foreign policy.
They are these:
The United States is q great indus
trial Nation, increasingly interested in
economic stability. The United States
is devoted to the cause Of world peace,
toward the organization of which four
successive American Presidents have
made notable proposals to the great
powers.
Sees World Problem.
Even before the beginning OF the
moratorium negotiations, Mr.. Hoover
was telling his fellow-countrymen that
the depression was q world problem
and that real and lasting recovery
would have to be world recovery. Dur
ing those negotiations he stated re-
peatedly that his concern for the world
economic situation centered about the
desperate plight Of Germany. These
statements we're but freshly uttered
when he decided on a full-fledged rep
resentation at the London Conference.
On the broader question of world
peace itself, he has not spoken so spe-
cifcally, although in his moratorium
proposal he did express hope that 1t
would contribute both to peace and
prosperity. When he later announced
what the American representation at
London would be the ever-watchful eye
of official and political Washington
scanned his statement carefully without
finding at all the word economic" He
merely said the Americans were going
to discuss the present emergency" in
Central Europe.
Watchful Senators who had helped
defeat the League Of Nations treaty
were quick to say publicly that they
hoped and understood the two Secre-
taries would have nothing to do with
the political problems Of Europe.
Stimson Is Cautioned.
A high administration Official dis
closed that cautionary word on that
subject had been said to Secretary
Stimson by the President, but the State
Department denied that what di-
plomacy calls instructions" had gone
forward.
1t is now the expectation in ofacial
circles that Messrs Stimson and Mellon
will keep away from political subjects.
although repeated emphasis is placed
upon the wide discretion reposed in
them by the President. Whatever they
do will be watched with keenest in
terest by all parties to the old contro-
versy over the proper relationship OF
the United States to the problems Of
Europe.
And it goes without saying that what
ever they do will be done in the light
of a very full understanding Of what Is
in the mind of the President.