WARS AFTERMATH.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1922, Page 5

WARS AFTERMATH.

PUTTING EUROPE IN OEDER. DANGER LURKING THERE. KEEP FOR DISARMAMENT. CONFERENCE PROPOSAL. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Washington, Dec. 27. Senator Lodge, in a speech in the Senate, said that a conference io consider land disarmament, as Senator Borah suggested, in connection with his proposal for an economic conference, would be useless, unless France withdrew her objections and agreed to cooperate with the other Powers in lowering her land force. “I have no information that France has changed hey attitude at the Washington conference when she refused to consider land armaments.”

Senator Lodge said the Unite! States had already reduced her land forces to something less than the proper peace strength. While Senator Lodge, doubted whether the proposal for an economic conference was in order under the Senate rules he declared its importance was great. Selfishness alone was making them all desire to do anything possible for the stabilisation of European affairs. He declared, however, that Senator Borah’s proposal was so broadly drawn that it had no boundary. They ought to know exactly what the powers of such a conference would be. He considered the debt question ought to be excluded and dealt with by the United States alone. Under the p*° sent proposal they would be called on to take part in the work of the Reparations Commission, perhaps rhe revision of the Versailles Treaty. “I don’t know how far the Senate thinks we ought to go in advancing money to help Germany or France; that question is jure to arise in such a conference and there ought to be some distinct statement about it.” Senator Pomerene asked Senator Lodge what such a conference could properly consider. Senator Lodge declared that he was unable to state whether the United States should go beyond the ro’.e of mediator or arbitrator. Senator Lodge’s speech followed a meeting of 20 Republican Senators who agreed to fight Senator Borah’s move. QUESTIONS TO BE SETTLED. INDECISION SPELLS WAR. RATIONAL SAFETY INVOLVED. Received Dec. 28. 5.5 p.m. Washington, Dee. 27. Senator Borah answered Senator Lodge by declaring that unless the reparations question was settled, and with it the limitation *of armaments confirmed and broadened, war was again imminent. He further declared it to be an American question and not a European question, in which the property, safety and future of the United States were all involved.

“That is why,” he added, “we should meet to settle it. The United States is now more deeply involved in European affaire than ever before in its history. To all practical purposes the American Government is helping ’Europe to administer the Versailles Treaty. We have an army on the Rhine four years after the war. Why the army there? The fact is we are doing exactly what the treaty, which France proposed, would have bound us to do, that is, guaranteeing the territorial integrity of France.’' Senator Borah asked Senator Lodge why American troops were on the Rhine, and Senator Lodge replied that he did not know. Senator Borah said: “I know; because we substituted men with arms for failing to ratify the Versailles treaty.” Senator Borah declared that if there should be an outbreak at the Rhine bridgeheads the American troops would be the first to be fired on, drawing America into another European war.

Senator Lodge interjected that one reason why American troops were left there was because Germany wanted them. Personally, he thought they should be withdrawn. Senator Borah replied: “Everybody thinks that, but no one will vote have them withdrawn. I venture to #ay that if present conditions continue for another year in Europe there will be a conflict, which is sure to draw in the larger nations of Europe, and I do not believe we could long remain out of any such disturbance.” Senator Borah pointed out that the proposed conference could not take official action regarding the funding of war debts, because that power was already allocated to a special commission, which was now functioning. ATTITUDE OF REPUBLICANS. THE PROPOSAL OPPOSED. Received Dec. 23, 7.25 p.m. - New York, Dec. 28. A conference of Republican Senators decided that Senator Poindexter should impede the Borah amendment by making a point of order on the ground of its general legislation in an appropriation measure. If the point is overruled the Republicans state they will fight the proposal on its merits, and, as a last resort, will present modifications limiting the proposed economic conference in such a way as to give satisfactory protection against the embroilpient of the United States in European Bifair’- —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Association.