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Show T HE C I BELGIUMS DEBT. u Times, discussing Belgiums war debt to the United Politics have confused the issue and left a pretty declares: which America is Belgium under financial obligation? 5jem the'Amrrica f President Wilson, which lent the money and can to the changed America, which now claims pay- gd the debt, or fhe London oli ., or i It ! ' n? . Ifl America of President Wilson did lend Belgium the money, cen cancel the debt. The the America of President Wilson did not which he erica of President Wilson rejected the Versailles treaty ga make it appear that America under Mr. signed. Those who try to ion promised cancellation to Belgium, and that America under cl iident Coolidge is going back on that promise, are doing Belgium ala good. There is no relevance in the argument that one govem-- t ne should honor the pledges of a preceding government, because in loll Mr. Wil-- s case there were no pledges by a preceding government. w Amer-Hi- s signing of the Versailles treaty constituted no pledge by roll signature was only the first step toward such a pledge. The yin was not taken. Further, it is not even clear that the step pleting lie sailles treaty, if ratified by America, would cancel Belgiums it! debt to America. The treaty says Germany undertakes to make I up lbursement of all sums which Belgium has borrowed from the ro This edand Associated governments up to November 1, 1918. Wor-p- r itthe same as saying Belgium need not pay her war debts. The o as hov not bei ionis Idh llm leri is,) he fa T I ZE N Mr. Longworths argument is sound just as long as our elected officials perform the duties of better government of and for the people, but when grafters find their way into our political offices, then what? Are the people to sit patiently by and witness maladministration without recourse to justice? Mr. Longworth is also selfish in that , he would see the Democratic party strong, but not strong enough to ever be elected. Evidently, Mr. Longworth would not like to step out of office to give it up to some Democrat. As long as he proves to be an efficient official we too would like to see him remain, but there are other good men in the country. The Citizen is of the opinion that if it is an honor to hold a political job the honor should be passed around; if the political job is a liability, no one man should be burdened with it. There may be drawbacks to the European form of government, but there if public officials do not do their duty or oppress the people, they are immediately turned out of office in disgrace. There appear grounds for a good argument on both sides and a public debate would bring out many good points. WATER POWER. Columbia river in the northwest and Colorado, river in the southwest are destined to contribute largely to the economic welfare of the nation. In recent years public attention has been focused upon the possibilities of utilizing Colorado, river in the development of seven Telegram. states. The Department of the Interior has collected, analyzed, and A Belgium commission is in this country at present negotiating made public a vast amount of information essential for intelligently Beliosals towards paying this debt, which is $480,000,000. utilizing this river, and further investigations are in progress. In the meantime the possibilities on Columbia river have not been neglected. as first offer has been turned down by this country. The Department of the Interior; through the Geological Survey and SELFISHNESS other bureaus, has been gradually accumulating the records needed for determining those possibilities. The bloc system of government is the curse of Europe, according Over 8,000,000 acres of land can be irrigated within the drainwho icholas Longworth, speaker of the House of Representatives, age area of Columbia river, of which about 3,600,000 acres is irriaddress In a recent ndy returned from an extended trip abroad. gated now. The river can be made navigable from its mouth to the the in lescribed scenes that were near riots occurring English international boundary, a distance of 760 miles, if proper foresight se of Commons, the French Chamber of Deputies and the German is exercised in the location of dams constructed primarily for use in chstag. These were the result, Mr. Longworth said, of the back developing water power. of trading for votes which is practiced among the small j method The immense water power resources along Columbia river have of ips representatives. attracted little interest until recently, because of the lack of a market The basic difference lies in the Constitution of the United States, for large blocks of power. Development must be linked in some way h provides for three separate departments of government, the leg-iv- with the establishment of industries to manufacture the executive and judicial. In foreign countries the executive products, fertilizers, chemicals, and other articles requiring the it separated from the legislative. There the life of the government use of large quantities of electric energy. The electrification of the mds the destroys upon the minister. A vote of northwestern railways would absorb only a small proportion of the must officials and a new set of representatives and available power. The industries could be operated within the vicinity nt in. of the power plants or at tidewater in Puget Sound and other north Congressman Longworth asked his audience how it would like to Pacific ports. The power is so located that it can be delivered econoup some morning and find every official from the president mically to all of Washington, to most of Oregon and Idaho, and to the p out of office and the proposition facing the voters to elect an eastern part of Montana. During a war the power could be utilized dynew set of officials. That, said Mr. Longworth, is what for manufacturing munitions in plants constructed near the source of ions many times in Europe in a year, and in France especially. power sp that they could be easily protected from the enemy by guardThat, said the speaker, is what comes of government by ing a few passes through the natural barrier formed by the Cascade in France. And the same is true in the German Reichstag and range. louse of Commons in England, where I had the opportunity to ob- e, electro-metallurgic- .mil railn no-confiden- ce al en-govemm- ent E ition, ties i ielS er in ichco faster nse m. up- - ol greatest menace to the American form of government and merica herself, for that matter, is the bloc in the House of csentatives of this country. For the time being, we have killed Jc system for the good of all. And as long as I am speaker of use of Representatives I shall use every effort in my power to attacks made upon the United States Constitution. ,5 s relieve the , perpetuation of the American system of govern-ependupon a system of government. I want to see ruocrats strong of course, not too strong. I want their criti-- 1 belieVC our method of electing our president and members of is the most dependable method. Such' election should not n upon the whim and of. minorities which combine caprice the two-part- y majority. ; The British have raised the price of rubber enough to pay their annual debt installments to the United States and why doesnt Italy do the same thing by boosting the cost of spaghetti? We evidently follow the Scriptures after being slapped on one cheek we turn the other for a harder slap. We wonder why it is that all of the plans to straighten out French finances always begin with the suggestion of a loan from the United States. Kansas City Star. Well, anyhow, if China declares war on us we wont have to pass any laws to stop the teaching of their language in the public schools. . |