Evening star., 1932-12-25
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and their miners produce, without fear
that suddenly their export trade will be
shot down from ambush by an execu-
tive order of some foreign government.
Reform Of this abuse by the establish
ment of decent standards of govern
ment regulation OF international trade
is an essential part of the general pro-
gram for restoring world stability.
Closely allied to the tariff problem Is
the problem of the war debts. think
the new administration should make
the greatest possible effort to put the
war debts once for all on such basis
that they are no longer political ques--
ton In the world How this can best
be achieved must be a matter for nego-
tiation with each Of the foreign govern
ments owing debts to the United States.
It is to be hoped that the individual
debtor governments will request confer
ences with the United States Govern
ment in order to deal with the whole
problem in a systematic way. Mr..
Roosevelt has announced that he favors
conference with our debtors to bring
about a definite understanding with
them and has indicated that payment
can only be expected If We permit i'm
ports by lower tariffs.
It may be urged that II we make
definite debt settlements in the near
future we might later discover that we
had accepted smaller payments than
necessary. According to that reason
ing we should leave the question open.
But Mr.. Roosevelt went to the heart OF
the problem in his speech of February
2. 1882, when he called for an early
accord regarding future payments. Un-
certainty is one of the factors delaying
the return of normal economic condi-
tons While the debt question hangs
fire, for example, England cannot set
new par for sterling and return to the
gold standard. Like many other re-
lated matters. this is Of much imoor-
tance to American trade, and SO to the
budget of the United States Govern
mont.
At Lausanne the allied governments
made a sincere effort to forget war
hatreds and took long step toward
d:sposing Of tie reparations question
cnce for all. They were able to do this
because their peoples had come to re-
alize that the black reparations cloud
hanging over Europe carried les prom
ise of fruitful rain than the threat OF
catastrophic new storms In the same
way. and for similar reasons, the Amer
lean people must be ready-as practical
business men, for reasons of cold COM
mon sense-to co what is necessary in
order to dispose finally of the war
debts as a political question.
Disarmament and Security.
Coincident with change in the
spirit ruling Our economic foreign pol
icy must 60 change in the spirit OF
our foreign policy in political matters,
The great problem of government is
how to re-eStabliSh a sense OF security
in the world If We are sincere In
preaching disarmament. we must help
to give nations cause to feel that their
land and possessions are safe. Disarm-
ament follows security. It cannot be
achieved under any other circum-
stances.
In this connection let us turn to the
Democratic platform adopted at Chi
cago in June. enc Of the plainest and
most terse enunciations of party prin-
ciple in the history Of American poll
tics. Among the elements of the firm
foreign policy" which it demands is the
maintenance of the pact OF Paris, Ito
be made effective by provisions for
consultation and conference in case
of threatened violation OF treaties"
This phrase gives recognition to the
fact that on the long and weary road
to disarmament political solutions must
precede technical solutions. The degree
to which a nation will agree to dis
arm will depend upon the degree to
which it feels that it will be secure
without the armaments which it is
asked to give up. Partial naval dis
armament became possible only when
political agreements had showed the
people involved that they would be
safer under tie proposed new condi-
tions than thev wer, with each nation
acting for itself and the devil threat
ening to take the hindmcst Disarm-
ament of land forces will become pos
sible only when mutual assurances have
been given and received that no great