Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1923. SEEKING A WAY IN

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 87, 12 April 1923, Page 6

Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1923. SEEKING A WAY IN

America has left much valuable property in Europe. It is not altogether from motives of humanitarian concern that she is now troubled when she sees the European nations wasting their substance in riotous living. Some of it is her substance. ' But America is in ?(, quandary. When she rer jected the League of Nations, and turned her back on Europe to retire once more behind the shelter of thp Monroe Doctrine,"she overlooked many things. She decided that she would no longer be a neighbour of Europe, but she remained a creditor. It is a different relationship and more complicated when it is between nations thara when it is between individuals. The individual creditor may end all neighbourly intercourse and put the bailiffs' in. When nations attempt to do that they are faced with many difficulties. France is experiencing some of them in the Ruhr now. But if America will not be a neighbour and cannot put the bailiffs in, how is she to save something for herself out of the'wreckage of European credit and European trade? It is probably this question which now perplexes American . politicians, including those pastoral senators of whose attitude' to the war debt settlement Mr. Baldwin was in doubt. They are beginning to realise that though the Monroe Doctrine may keep them free from the entanglements of European politics,' it. is of little help to them when America is already entangled in European finance and commerce. It is not surprising, therefore!, that a new move is being-made to find a way in to Europe, and that President Harding is planning a speaking tour to advance his proposal for American membership of the World Court.

It is not the first speaking tour that has been undertaken to endeavour to interest the people of the 1 United States in European affairs. President Wilson, M. Clemenceau, and now Lord Robert Cecil have preceded President Harding. They were at least consistent advocates of the principles they urged. President Harding's position is not so clear. He came into power on the wave of popular sentiment which had swamped American membership of the League of Nations. He proposed a new association of nations, but went no further than the "Washington Qaui!©rene<3. Then ho oamo baok, not to the League of Nations,

i but to its most important institution, the Permanent Court of International Justice. His proposal for American membership was hedged about with reservations, but pro-League senators described the proposal as a first step to the League and virtual adherence to the League, accompanied by a verbal denial of such adherence. The proposal was shelved for the time being frith the excuse that there was no time to deal with it before the session of Congress ended"; but there was more than a suggestion tha,t signs of opposition had much to do with the withdrawal. So President Harding must inaugurate a ne/w crusade, and endeavour to cemvince the people (so that they may convince the senators) that America cannot continue to stand aloof and. watch Europe blaze. As 'President he has had the opportunity of realising that it is not sufficient for the President to ,hold advanced views. He must impress those views upon the people.

It is now admitted that President Wilson's failure^ was due chiefly to the inability ; of the American people to realise that a good example was better than good advice;- Mr. Eay Stannard Baker,' in his account of Woodrow Wilson's work for world settlement, is much disposed to blame the old diplomacy of Europe, but he makes this admission:—

In short, while requiring the payment in full of Europe's debts to ul, we were also demanding a removal of all economic barriers _so that our unharmed and mighty private business interests could rush in to every "market. At the same time that we were arguing—and rightly arguing—that France and. Cfreat Britain abate exorbitant claims to reparation in order to bring about the common good of Europe, we dared not offer to abate anything for the common good of the world. We argued that Europe must co-operate and sacrifice in order to pay her debts to us—but we could offer nothing but postponement in return. In short, our policy, both as regards the League of Nations and the effort to secure co-operation in economic rehabilitation, has seemed to involve the abandonment of European nations to their difficulties while holding them to their obligations.

If President Harding now succeeds in winning popular approval for membership of the World Court he will have taken the first step towards effecting a change of outlook. But when we consider how difficult and how long delayed this first step has been it would be unreasoning optimism to hope for a. further advance immediately. Europe may yet have to go a long way before America offers anything more helpful,than advice.