Evening star., 1935-03-20
EUROPE'S TROUBLE
TERMED ECONOMIC.
Readjustments Caused by
War Only intensified at
Versailles. .
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAVnENSbs
Nobody won the war-the world was
not made safe for democracy-mlll-
,tarism was not vanquished. What
an epitaph to write on the graves OF
the 8,5O0,000 or more who sleep In
, the battlefieldS of the World War!
And vet today-l6 years after the
runs on the western front were ST.
fenced by an armistice-the nations
of Europe are rearmlng for STRIFE.
They call it defense against aggres-
sion. It's the same old confession
that human reason and moral force
seem unable to cope with physical
strength and the brutishness OF man
kind.
Again America is standing aloof,
1ust as Britain did for several months.
England Re-enters Drama.
But England has re-entered the
European drama. Germanys air
force can reach London in few
hours.
So much for the political develop
-ments. Coincidentally, the economic
drama is being unfolded Belgium IS
being forced of gold. France and
Holland and Switzerland-the last
of the gold bloc countries-wait anx-
4ously for the next steps, and par
ticularly do they await Americas
action to determine whether they
, shall be forced of the gold standard.
In world currency contests, America
Is not aloof The big stablllzatlon
. fund of S20O0,000,000 can overnight
! drive France of gold. No such in
tention. of course, is apparent here.
The American Government insists it
is not using its fund for offensive but
for defensive purposes.
Yet. in recent weeks. the pound has
fuctuated greatly, and now Belgium
has a monetary crisis, which is sure to
be followed by other crises in the cur
rencies of Europe.
- U. S. in Currency War.
America is involved in the currency
, war. There are differences of opinion
: as to what an abandonment OF the
gold standard and the devaluation OF
/. the franc may do to France. 1t has
: been contended that internal disorder
, or the establishment of a Fascist or
Communist dictatorship might follow.
g.. On the surface, Europes troubles
are political Actually, they are
economic. The European nations have
not absorbed their World War troubles.
The economic readjustments caused by
the war and intensified by the
territorial arrangements of the
Versailles treaty have left residue
which brought Communism to Russia,
Fascism to italy and Germany. and
a load of almost unbearable debt to
Britain.
The League of Nations was sup
posed to furnish the machinery to end
wars. But the League has been power
. less because the seeds of discomfort
brought by the peace treaty have not
: been eradicated. President Wilson'S
futile plea for peace without VIC
tory seems. in recollection, to have
been prophetic of what Europe really
needed.
:. Allies Blind at Versailles.
For Germany today demands equal
ity and ,lot the status of van4uished
nation forever. The allies were blind
to this at Versailles and in the
whole postwar period. Consequently,
4 democracy in Germany perished and
Hitler today capltalizes on natioraliS-
tic and patriotic feeling and tears up
: the treaty of Versailles amid national
. acclaim
The influence of the United States
. exerted persua5iveIy in the postwar
period might have helped. But ma
tionalistic and narrow viewpoints in
the American Congress were as pow
erful as they we're in the French
: Parliament. America demanded pay
ment of war debts The allies de-
manded payment of reparations. And
. today the whole structure of war debts
. has collapsed, leaving also a skeleton
: Of pre-war trade and enterprise.
, Unemployment runs close IT, 3d.
: 600. 900 persons, of which Amerita has
one-third. Exports from the United
States are the lowest in our history
for farm products. and not much
better than 1918 for all other articles
combined.
!, World trade, indeed, has collapsed,
and what little improvement the last
year has brought is now threatened by
'
Germans Want No War.
, Nobody wants the United States to
enter another war. Nobody in Eng
land wants another war. And, L the
truth we're told, the German people
want no more war.
? Who, then, wants war? The Doliti-
scal groups and dictators of Europe. who
think they can perpetuate themselves
better in military displays because of
the natural tendency of a people to
CONSOLIDATE and forget internal differ
Fences when war comes.
. is there nothing that can be done
except fold our hands and say I'VE
zhave nothing to say and we shall do
snothing about it. It's Europe's quar-
Irel, not ours?"
) Unfortunately, this is what America
said at the outbreak of the World
War, and yet she was drawn in,
somehow.
: Whether or not we become parties
to- a European military struggle, We
.ane already parties to Europe's eco
1Iomic struggle for existence.
No Neutral Rights.
1t is easy enough to say the rights
of neutrals should be revised. The
Fact is there will be no rights of
neutrals in the next war. There were
none in the last war And that's why
The United States found herself in
solved.
: American influence for peace has
always meant something in the world,
but it can mean far more today. Ger
family the United States can avoid
aggravating the situation abroad by
continued threats against European
eurrencies and by the beginning of
Informal discussions leading to a
currency truce This would mean the
revival of trade.
. And when trade revives there Is
an opportunity for the unemployed
both here and abroad to get jobs.
When there are more jobs European
dictators will be less inclined to talk
Af uar oud no much more interested