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Show The present German government really seems to be Increasing In strength, and the confidence reposed In It by the allied governments Is growing daily. That is, the confidence confi-dence that It will carry out the terms of the treaty as far as possible. In a public address last week, Doctor Rathenau, minister of reconstruction, said : "The United States is the world's chief creditor' and Germany is the world's chief debtor, with all other nations na-tions sandwiched In between these two as creditor and debtor nations, each tied to or obligated to one another. an-other. "Germany Is not a land of gold or raw materials, but a nation which lives, and will continue to live, by the work of her hands. We are, therefore, there-fore, only able to pay our debts with our products, our mental and manual labor. This we honestly propose to do." Our State department Is now busying busy-ing Itself with the preliminaries for negotiating treaties that will make effective the peace with the central powers and restore diplomatic and other relations. Administration authorities au-thorities give assurance that nothing will be done that will disturb the cordial cor-dial relations existing between the United States and the allied powers, which presumably means that they are being taken Into the confidence of this government In the formulation of the treaties on which Secretary Hughes is working. Another thing demanding the attention atten-tion of the State department Is the situation in Tamplco where it Is feared labor disorders may endanger American Ameri-can property. One or two navy vessels ves-sels have been sent there, but this was not to be considered a naval demonstration. The trouble In Tam- havlng saved, by Its courage and steadfastness, stead-fastness, the Ideals for which millions were led to offer their lives in the great war." As significant, perhaps, as these statements was an Incident In Liverpool. Liver-pool. The city was decorated In honor of a visit of the prince of Wales, and In the Irish quarter were displayed many Sinn Fein flags intertwined inter-twined with the union jacks. A prominent prom-inent Sinn Feiaej- said : "The order to do that came from Dublin." From this side of the world it looks as though the great powers do not know what to do with Turkey and the Turks. If they have any definite policy pol-icy It isn't .apparent from either their statements or their actions. The Treaty of Sevres already Is shot to pieces, even If the men who formulated formu-lated It are unwilling to admit It. Turkey was neatly partitioned, but refuses to stay in parts, and the nations na-tions to whom the helpings were assigned as-signed seem quite unable to take or retain them. Naturally the sultan's government, to which the treaty left but a tiny part of the huge empire, Is not doing anything to hinder the efforts of the nationalists, who refuse to permit that empire to be carved up. Greece Is making all preparations for her promised offensive In Asia Minor, and ships loaded with troops, munitions and supplies arrive dally in Smyrna from Athens. Observers who have been with Kemal Pasha are somewhat doubtful of the ability of the nationalists again to stop the Greeks, To complicate the situation In the Near East, it has become certain that Bulgaria Is co-operating with Kemal In the hope of regaining eastern Thrace. So far she has taken no overt steps, and If she does, the "little "lit-tle entente," comprising Jugo-Slavia, Czecho-Slovakla and Roumania, will NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENTEVENTS Smuts' Efforts Bring Renewed Hope of Settlement of the Irish Trouble. MAY QUIT "REPUBLIC" IDEA De Valera and Others Show Disposition Disposi-tion to Yield No Improvement in Near Eastern Mess) Germany Expects Coup d'Etat Tariff Fight Is On. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. The entry of Jan Christian Smuts Into the peace negotiations changed the Irish situation over night. The South African premier Is regarded as one of the most astute statesmen in the world, and apparently Lloyd George has done well In enlisting his assistance. It now appears likely that a peaceful settlement of the Irish trouble will be reached before long. Optimistic persons were not dismayed dis-mayed by De Valera's tentative refusal to attend the meeting In London proposed pro-posed by Lloyd George and Sir James Craig's refusal to confer with the Sinn Feiners and south Ireland unionists In Dublin. The latter conference was begun without representatives of Ulster, Ul-ster, and an attempt was made to reconcile the positions of the Sinn Fein and the unionists. Then General Gen-eral Smuts slipped across to Dublin, gave the leaders there a heart-to-heart talk, and hurried back to London to report to the English authorities. What he told them gave rise to the pfco Is a result of the recent decree of the Mexican government increasing the export tax on oil. The Industry being checked, thousands of men were thrown out of employment, and their attitude was threatening. President Obregon says the government has no Intention of rescinding the decree, and that the labor conditions are not as bad as reported. The Inevitable battle over the tap Iff was opened by a minority report from the Democratic members of the ways and means committee of the house. The bill as drafted Is denounced de-nounced as a "conspiracy to benefit a few favorites at the expense of all humanity." The report deals especially with the probable effect of the bll! on American commerce and with the substitution of the system of American Ameri-can valuation as a basis for levying tariff duties. Calling attention to the fact that the foreign trade of the United States fell from $1,188,255,440 last July to $527,378,825 in May, 1921, the report says : "Certainly the natural process Is preferable to the infected knife of Interested In-terested surgeons who, by selecting the industries to protect and those tb destroy, can reap the harvest their campaign contributions seeded last fall. Verilv. the oil men are entitled get Into action, for the real ralson d'etre of that alliance Is their determination deter-mination to keep Bulgaria within the limits now fixed for her. Moreover It is asserted that the "little entente" now has the complete backing of Italy. One thing the great powers are determined de-termined to prevent the seizure of Constantinople by the Bolshevists. To this end the entire British Mediterranean Medi-terranean fleet Is being concentrated in the vicinity of the Turkish capital. It may be that heavy re-enforcements of allied troops also will have to be sent to that region, for the Russian Bolshevists evidently are planning some big coup. They are calling to the colors all men from eighteen to thirty-five years of age, and general mobilization is expected soon. The demobilization order issued some time ago has been canceled. More interesting inter-esting than reliable Is the story that Trotzky has been Imprisoned on orders or-ders from Lenin. Similar reports of disagreement between the Bolshevist chiefs have been beard too often. Germany, still apprehensive that she is to lose out in Upper Silesia, Is crying cry-ing "wolf" again. The country Is warned of an impending coup d'etat and the allies are permitted to overhear over-hear the warning. The story, as it most cheerful of predictions. Though no official statements have been Issued, It appears that this Is how matters now stand : The British government Is willing to grant to Ireland Ire-land the fullest autonomy, patterned after that enjoyed by South Africa ; Ulster to be considered still a part of the dominion but having an autonomous autono-mous government of its own, such as that of Natal. "President" De Valera, Arthur Griffith, founder of Sinn Fein; Michael Collins and other republican leaders are now willing that Ireland shall remain a part of the British empire em-pire though they prefer the term "British commonwealth of nations" provided their right of secession is recognized. Other prominent Sinn Feiners, comprising the intellectuals and doctrinaires, Insist Prime Minister Lloyd George has not yet sufficiently recognized the essential unity of Ireland Ire-land and its right to self-determination. All the Sinn Feiners assert that Ulster must accept her autonomy from the supreme Irish parliament in Dublin. Dub-lin. The task that remains is to recon cile these views and bring the Ulster-ltes Ulster-ltes and southern unionists Into agreement with the compromise plan. That this can be done is the expressed opinion of some of the chief figures in the negotiations. Says General Smuts: "I think, I am hopeful, I trust, that the question will be solved and that thereby the British empire will be freed from the Imputation Imputa-tion that In this ancient part of the United Kingdom there still exists violation vio-lation of the fundamental principles upon which the empire rests. I say thnt the problem is soluble because I have seen It solved In my own country coun-try under circumstances less embittered embit-tered thnn In Ireland but certainly of a very difficult character, too." De Valera, In his first authorized statement since Lloyd George's Invitation, Invi-tation, says: "We trust that rhe British Brit-ish prime minister's letter may prove to be the first step toward submitting a civilized basis of right rI reason for thnt of bnrbaric vloie, In the arbitration of the question at Issue between Ireland and Great Britain. "Should the conference now Initiated Initiat-ed lead to an ultimate understanding and lasting peace between the peoples of these two Islands, which have been In a state of war, or suspended war, for more than seven and a half centuries, cen-turies, it will set a worthy Christian precedent for the entire world. "British prestige will be restored, foiinj Ireland will live In history as comes from Berlin, Is that all the reactionary re-actionary elements are prepared to march on Berlin and upset the government, gov-ernment, and that the decision against German possession of Upper Silesia Is to be the signal for movement. move-ment. The German Irregular forces were withdrawn from the disputed territory. ter-ritory. In accordance with the agreement agree-ment with the Inter-allied commission, but they have not disbanded or disarmed, dis-armed, nor have they moved far from the Slleslan border. These troops are commanded by monarchists, and It Is reported that General von der Goltz, who led the Baltic expedition and also was mixed np In the Kapp revolution, Is now In Upper Silesia. A few days ago the German population of Beu-then. Beu-then. In Upper Silesia, was making a hostile demonstration against the Poles and when the French troops tried to disperse the marchers, the latter fired on them, killing a French major. The troops retired to their garrison and opened fire with machine guns and a number of Germans were killed. So far the "peaceful" arrangement ar-rangement made by the Inter-allled commission has not been a conspicuous conspicu-ous success. to their reward, and the lumber men and wool men and all the others who cast their bread on the waters of a Republican tide." Senator Smoot's subcommittee made haste last week to get the Sweet veterans' vet-erans' bureau bill before the senate. This Is the measure that Is designed to provide proper care and adequate compensation for disabled soldiers and sailors through the co-ordination of relief agencies. Congress has been severely se-verely criticized for delay in passing the bill, which Is the fruit of the efforts ef-forts of the Dawes commission ; and a senate Investigating committee has been hearing testimony of the scandalous scan-dalous neglect and Inhuman treatment of disabled veterans under the present pres-ent complicated system or rather lack of system. The five train service brotherhoods are to take a referendum vote on the acceptance or rejection of the wage reduction order of the federal railway lnbor board. Rail union leaders believe be-lieve there will be no strike unless the railway executives Insist on the wiping wip-ing out of the present working rules. |
