The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25th, 1925.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25th, 1925.

THE AMERICAN ATTITUDE. 'The fact that America which played •so important a part not to say dominating - in drawing up the Treaty of Versailles, and then refused to ratify it, had a most disastrous effect on Europe and the world at large. An .English paper commenting on the position. remarked it was not possible at. present to realise how much the world suffered hy the ultimate American attitude. .For something like live years America stood aloof, notwithstanding that the war period itself had demonstrated the inter-dependence of the great nations of the world. It was not till the Dawes Committee sat that America began to realise the position and retrace her steps— to recognise her obligations as it were. Coder the Dawes plan the United States is deeply interested in the success of the scheme, and it becomes a greater source of satisfaction acid gm ti lira t ion Unit the Chairman of that Committee is now so intimately associated with tire Government of the United States. Under the pact, America lias become one < the guarantors, and it may he accepted that the people as it whole will accept their responsibilities and obligations 1 the matter, and stand firmly for their rights as against Germany. It is only by a plain degree of firmness that this will lie possible, and the Associated Towers will expect cohesion among the guarantors so that there will he no incentive for Germany to make default deliberately. Tire "Westminster Gazette in .summing lip the situation remarks : “The petty haggling of this or that Power, the irresponsible suggestions made in some French quarters about the British reparations claim, the more sterling value of the various national percentages, matter hardly at all in face of the implications of America’s signature to the Protocol. It would he most unwse to build too much and too confidently upon this basis; hut at least it seems certain that the spirit of reason has received a heavy reinforcement in the counsels of Europe. Mr Kellogg, U.S. representative appealed to its business principles as the surest guarantee of the success of the Dane; pilau. In this country no one is likely to misunderstand that suggestion, since it means no more than that the scheme lias a rational and realist foundation. It is to he hopped that a similar spirit will animate the discussion of the Allied debts. The actual payments under the Dawes scheme depend for their real interpretation upon a settlement of the related question of what our debtors mean to do in regard to the large sums for which the British taxpayer has to pay interest. Some reasonable arrangement must soon he made in that matter, and it should not he difficult for the Allies to see how they stand now that the Paris Conference has finished its work.”