Evening star., 1932-07-25
Borah Leads the WAY.

ternational harmony. Only out OF such
harmony can come, in the opinion OF
the chairman of the Senate Foreign Re
lations Committee, revival OF world
trade, the return of millions to fac
tory and bench and to the farm. II
Senator Borah was ever at heart an
"isolationist" he has at last written
that off the books. He has always had
at heart the interests of the American
people, and it is in their interests now
that he proposes an immediate inter-
national economic conference, to search
deeply into the needs of all nations and
to bring unity of action for the benefit
of all. Practical or not, it Is a great
conception.
Apparently in the mind Of Senator
Borah the time has at last arrived when
such an attempt may be made with
some chance of success. He sees in the
recent Lausanne conference the devel-
opment of a new spirit among the ma
tions of Europe, desire for peace and
for new adjustments. THAT Whlch
gives hope" he says, "the promise OF
new era. is the spirit which came hnaiiy
to pervade the conference. the OLD
deadly doctrine of strict executions
died at Lausanne, and for that let the
world rejoice. The Versailles treaty Is
no longer sacred"
The willingness of France ana Eng
land to act in friendly accord TO meet
the economic situation; the Willingness
Of the allies to pare down the German
renarations fixed in 1921 at $3l $780,
600 900 to a mere S714,000,000, are, &C
cording to the Idaho Senator, evidences
Of q new and beneficial spirit growing
up in Europe.
With regard to the debts owed the
United States by the nations OF Europe,
growing out of the World War and out
of postwar loans by this country 10 aio
the allied nations, Senator Borah Is
willing to go to the length Of revision
or even cancellation, provided America
can gain in the end from real revival
of world trade. He is apparently con-
yinced that the great depression which
has gripped this country as well as the
ether nations of the world is something
that can be dealt with only through
concerted action. For that reason, he
proposes the calling of an international
conference, not next Winter, not next
year, but now. At this conference he
would have the nations deal with the
problems of reparations and debts, dis
armament, the re-establishment OF the
gold standard-from which thirty-one
nations today have removed themselves
the sterilization of silver in the Ori-
ent, and possibly other questions"
Senator Borah, inveterate foe OF the
Versailles treaty and the League OF Ma
tions covenant, has been regarded as an
irreconcilable isolationist. But, despite
his frequent declarations that the
, United States has nothing to do with
the quarrels of Europe and must re-
main aloof from them, the Senator has
a record for far-seeing and far-reaching
proposals to bring the nations OF the
! world into accord. He was the original
proposer of an international conference
| on naval arms limitation, proposal
that eventually was adopted by Presi-
dent Harding and resulted In the Wash
ington conference in 1922. In jan
uary, 1925, Senator Borah was vitally
interested in the calling OF an inter-
national economic conference to deal
with the adjustment of economic prob
| lens, international debts and arma-
ments.
In his proposal now for an economic
/ conference and his willingness to can
Gel debts owed this country Senator
Borah lays down the fiat condition that
| there must be real disarmament agree
| ments, as we'll as cancellation Of re-
parations and the breaking down of
some of the provisions Of the Versailles
treaty. European nations must under
stand that if Senator Borah Is to go
along with them they must come to
some agreement on these matters.
At the close of the World War the
late William Jennings Bryan suggested
the cancellation of the debts owed this
country by the allied nations. There
was an immediate uproar. Had Mr.
Bryan suggested the cancellation OF
German reparations, too, there would
have been even more uproar, but from
European quarter. Perhaps at last
the way may be open for such con-
clusion of the World War as Mr.. Borah
now visualiZes.