The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1920. IS AMERICA QUITTING?

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3400, 3 February 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1920. IS AMERICA QUITTING?

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post. and Waimarino News.”

From the first years of Germany’s great crime there has intermittently cropped up discussions as to America’s attitude to the war; at firs-t it was “why does not America place her armies beside those of the Allies,” and when America did decide to fight it was cynically asked “Why has America joined in the war.” "There is little to be gained of use to the world by endeavouring -to answer either of ‘these questions, but they help, as cumulative evidence, to enable the other Allies to understand why America. now desires to quit. the work that yet remains undone, and which, if long neglected. may contribute to a worse (position than would have ar-isen had Germany won the war. The German menace was equally as great and serious to America as it was to European nations, notwithstanding the road—clearing the enemy had to accomplish lbefbre reaching their object, but when France and Britain had been bru-shed aside nothing was more sure or certain than that America would fall an easy victim to the Hunnish hordes from within as well as those from without. .America’g case was the Allies’ case and vice versa, yet America allowed’ ‘France and Britain to be bled White and their treasure to be used up; Itheir industries to be converted into llmunition works, and it was only when [German submarines commenced oper{ations against American towns, and EAmerican shipping in American har[bours that some Americans said, we -have got the last -that is gettable witout war, our country and our millions are in danger, we must arraign tour men on the side of the Allies in iFrance or become Germany’s slaves ;with the rest -of the world. Whether fthis statement represented the American mind or not It is a singular coincidence that it should represent the situation with remarkable exactitude. It will also be remembered that it was largely British shipping that conveyed American soldiers to the war, and home again as soon as hostilities had ceased. In this column it has been more than once argued that Americans seek to accomplish by money what Germany failed to do by the sword, and it ‘seems now that we need not search far for ev-idence amplifying our contention. Now, notwithstanding Europe's sacrifices of of blood and treasure freeing America from peril, Americans are quitting; the menace gone, Americans are advocating a course that is -intended to involve all Europe in bankruptcy. In the first two years of War America bled the biuigerents of their money while the. Allies sacrificed their manhood as much for America's protection as" their own. Gold flowed -into America while European blood drenched the Very ground; now that the fightllg is’ over America has withdrawn from the field, and the United States Treasurer, representing his Government, says America win keep the gold whether Europe lives, or dies of starvation. In an attempt at economic domination of Europe Americans are exhibiting all that callousuess to human suffering and death iby starvation which Germans have been freely accused of, so much so that it is pertinent to ask Whether Americans are the friends of civilisation, humanity, freedom and

justice they seemed to be, Or have they merely posed as such for ulterior purposes‘? While hoisting the Standard of liberty and justice have they not been fighting for the almighty dollar? We have no desire l’-0 W9ll think unjustly of an English Speaking people, but when all Europe is fast. slipping into bankruptcy. 13115613‘ aided by an arbitrary exchange rate that Americans are making 111018 dl'3s‘3i° while all Europe is pleading £ol‘ means of stablis-ing exchange so that DBOPI€_?S may not go on dying in thousands 111 the war devastated countries, what other explanation is there? We have seen that Americans are opDoSed t 0 completing the Peace Treaty, and that they are averse to a League Of N3‘ tions. ‘There is little hope of Americans altering their views; they are either for it or they are opposed t 0 it; there is no halfway attitude possible. and up to the -present Americans are oDposed to a League of Nations having for its main purpose the cessation of‘ wars in the world. In their loud op-po.s-ition to the principle of the League they are virtually -inviting other nations to have nothing to do with it, and even Turkey is raising trouble to en-alble a resistance of Peace terms. All Asia is in a ferment Wl_l'iC'h might have been entirely avoided had the great Powers stood unitedly together against a. recurrence of war and bloodshed, and it is America that it setting the example to the half-civilised Asiatic hoxdes. Notpnly do they refuse to countena.nce a complete League of Nations, but the United States Treas-. urer wrote to the United States Chamber of Commerce distinctly stating that the Government was opposed to lending any more money to Europe, ’a.nd were also against lending any more aid to Europeans in any way. It is almost beyond human imagination that Americans should so Irefuse to even lend money to the n'at~ions that have sacrificed their man. hood, their treasures, industries and prosperity in the defence of American citizenship, but to such -a perverted state of mind has the greed for riches and the lust for power brought hitherto great nations. Apeing Germany, America is bent upon political and economic domination of Europe, if not of the world. Blinded by greed and lust America, like Germany, will fail to a.p-preciate the barriers of nature’s equilibruinl; Americans have their Mexican trolrbles, their trading troubles elsewhere on the American Con’tinent; the American population is ‘rattening with an alien element ready 'to rise at any moment that seems opportune; America probably stands closer to serious nationally destrucrtive war’ than any other of the re}cently Allied peoples. and in greed for 3the almighty dollar an estrangement [from friends’ is being rushed forward. |Europe may starve and rot, but the American Government will not lend another dollar, the flag that claimed to represent tl-uthfvliberty, honour and ljustice, now represents churlishness, greed. lust for power,’ and a meanness ‘that every English speaking person .has cause to be ashamed of. Britain and other European nations have to overcome the exchange clifiiculty as best they can without American assistance, and when it is realised that the English pound sterling will only ‘buy fifteen shillings worth of American goods it will be admitted the difficulties are great. But it is considerlfiblif Worse with France and Ger lmanr; the German shilling will now lonly purchase less than a pennywortll [from America. The stage is now ‘reached in which it matters not who caused the war, all must unite against the visible intention of America f 0 secure that political and economic domination of Europe that the Kaiser and his warloards failed to achieve. Of course, America will also fail, and all can help onward that day Tl)‘ T9‘ fusing to purchase anything from the {land of the quitters.