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Show "AIWERICAFIRST'' STILLJOURPDLIGY ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT TOWARD EUROPEAN MUDDLE REMAINS UNCHANGED NOT SELFISH, BUT WAITING Recent Rtports That ths StaU Department De-partment Had Found a Plan and Would Offer Mediation Have Been Based on Ignorance. ' By EDWARD B. CLARK Washington. If Washington should try to count the number of attempts which have been made to set forth the real position of the United States government toward European mutters, It would be compelled to give up every other occupation for a day. There have been explanations and explanations, ex-planations, none of which has explained. ex-plained. Recently there have been stories, some of which seemed to be authentic, that this government had found a plan which It intended to propose to act as a mediator in reparation matters, mat-ters, and with the story came another that the European governments were prepared to accept the offer and also, seemingly, the future was bright for understandings and for physical and financial peace in Europe. Another story was to the effect that the United States was willing to act as mediator to adjust the differences between Great Britain and Prance, and thut after these were adjusted it was thought it would be possible for these two countries, dominant ones as they are, to agree with the other allies on a, course which would make Germany Ger-many pay up and put an end to all thought of war and of other things menacing. A great many Americans were brought to believe that the end of trouble was in sight "because America intended an offer of mediation." Someone Some-one who had access to the columns of a great many newspapers misinterpreted misinter-preted what was said at the State department, and also seemingly had no knowledge of things that had been said and done by the department la the recent past. The result was that old things were covered with a new dress which did not fit It was old news taken as new news with a glittering glit-tering promise that all soon would be well across the water. No Change of Our Attitude. Time after time in the stories of the day European affairs soon were to be settled by American action, but time after time the pens which wrote the stories were confuted. Seemingly today to-day the United States, so tiur as the President Col via Coolldge is using today the study In the Whit? Houst which has been used by every PrettW dent since the days of Jefferson. This room, sacred to study purposes and to private conferences on affairs of state, la situated on the second floor of the White House at the south front and directly at the head of the stairs leading from the corridor on the main floor. It is a historic room and in It affairs vital to the nation's welfare wel-fare have been discussed and decided time on time, It was in this room that matters concerning the War of 1812 were discussed; dis-cussed; it was here that the Monroe doctrine was formulated; it was here warm discussions took place concerning concern-ing the Mexican war, and it was here that Buchanan tried la his vacillating way to fix upon a policy which might avert the Civil war. It was in this study that Abraham Lincoln framed the Emancipation proclamation; that Johnson and Orant considered perplexedly per-plexedly the problems of reconstruction reconstruc-tion ; and it was here that other Presidents Presi-dents pondered over and gave final Judgment on the affairs of state. President Harding used this room constantly. It was here that he had his favorite books, his favorite pictures pic-tures and his favorite rlpes, a half doxen of which were piled npon ths little desk near the window. President Coolldge has entered and taken pos session and be will have a boat him those more intimate personal belong Ings which seem to aid men in the processes of thinking and of reasoning. Roosevelt's Favorite Cartoon Here. Theodore Roosevelt spent many nights in this room. lie did something which other Presidents liave not done. He placed about the room the original drawings of many of the cartoons which had to do with bis public life; some of them favorable to his strtv ings and some of them unfavorable to the cutting point. Calvin Coolldge vss a farm boy, the son of a farmer and the grandson of a farmer. "It is possible that he may feel like giving a chief place on toe wall to a cartoon which Theodore Roosevelt looked cyon daily and from which be said he believed that he received re-ceived advice and possibly inspiration. The cartoon was one entitled "His Favorite Author." It represented a farmer not the farmer of carina tore bnt a. plain, high thinking fanner, a typical American reading a newspaper, newspa-per, the head lines of which appeared plainly thus: The President's Message." Mes-sage." The only figure in the cartoon was depicted as sitting before an open fire of logs reading studiously. The facs was wonderfully expressive, albeit It was homely and rugged. President Roosevelt told the writer of this article one night that when ha was in doubt about the advisability of, suggesting some line of legislation ha would place himself in front of this cartoon and look Into the face of the farmer wtio, be said, represented to administration is concerned, stands Juttt where it did two years ago save for the fact that within the two years President Harding enunciated his plan for American membership in the world court. As some one has put it, the dominant domi-nant note in our foreign relations today, to-day, so fur as the State department Is concerned, is "America First." This to a greut many people who think that this country should help the world out of Its dllllcultles, probably may stem like the quintessence of lelflshneHs, but it is probable that the State department de-partment does nut mean thm anything him the plain people, the high thinking think-ing people of the United States. It Settled His Doubts. Then the President said : . "I asked myself if this farmer, representing the plain folk of the country, the real folk, would approve of what I thought about doing. It has seemed to me that I always have succeeded in getting an answer. When I have determined that he would approve, I make up my own mind to go on." President Coolldge is a fanner and from the furm it is said he has drawn his stability of character, his method of thinking und his reticence until that day comer when he knows that tie should speak. The cartoon of the farmer, which by the wnv. apiieared in the now defunct Chicago Chronicle, was the work of Mr. Lowry. Ir Is said to have a chief place today id the home of Theodore Koosevelfs widow at Oyster Bay. Many a time there have been conferences con-ferences In this White House study about which the country knew nothing at the time. When Woodrow Wilson was president, Col. E. N. House was a frequent visitor to the White House but he almost always came and went so quickly and, so to speak, shrewdly that the newspaper men knew little or nothing of his comings and goings. It was In this study that most of the Wilson conferences took pluce. It was here thut Woodrow Wilson formulated his pluns for the pacification of the world, and here earlier he drafted his mesHHge asking congress to declare that a state of war existed with Ger-many. Ger-many. . The presidents who occupy this room stay for awhile and then leave It for all time. Its furnishings und the personul belongings . of succeeding nien chunge from administration to administration. ad-ministration. Hut the room remains and It In fuller of historic memories than, perlwps, any other chamber of any other building. it does or does not do Is to be looked upon as being charged with a spirit of "ourselves only," The fact seems to be that the administration ad-ministration still is awaiting the duy when the governments of Europe can agree among themselves on some course of procedure before It shall attempt to offer to help them along the course. There are other men here, however, who say that this country should point out the course to be followed fol-lowed and trust to fortune that the countries of Europe would be willing to follow It. Old Nswa 8nt Out as Now. So long ago as lust December Mr. Hughes Intimated thut an International Interna-tional commission might be appointed to take cognizance of the whole situation situa-tion in Europe and find a remedy for the existing evils. Some of the European nations seemingly thought that this wus a good proposition while others paid only the h'cd of temporary tempo-rary courtesy to the plan. A revival of the story of this intimated plan of Secretary Hughes probably Is responsible re-sponsible for recent stories to the effect that the United States Intended to offer mediation. Old news was played as new news by persons who did not know what the old news was. So far us can he determined, therefore, there-fore, the American position on European Euro-pean affairs is Just about what It hm been. Of conrne It may elmnKe nt any time, but chances will depend alaiiixt entirely probably upon developments lu Kunpe and not upon ny likely deviation de-viation from present Amerleiin policy under ciidltlin ax they still exist. The country, seemingly, flll Is divided di-vided on the (piestlon as to .vhetlier or not the United State vountnrlly nhoulii otTer some proposal to fcurnpp for n M'ttlemeiit nf ulV.iirs. Washiiu'-ten Washiiu'-ten ilpp.irelitly believes tba the eoiill-try eoiill-try Is split Just about h.ilf r.ui half In pinion on ibis matter. The opponent of tl.e plan for iietb.n by tins couti'ry say 1'iat the mailer t;o o;: ,-, ,j :l, ; eii'i t on of r.'-Jo and that Aaa- !aa ; b',"!'-! h i'e io;i::t; to ,! 1 ..v ;!, ; I ,ii'..p,.-n t rn'iMe.. i el. .'is - ay 1 1 . 1 ; I ' IH -:r i'b., i;.;e, s j,..,, ) :r;n, ,;n that If tbo worbl I- to I." rl.te.l. Aiiiei-b,, t!,..l:!J act hm! a' t ip'uVy. , |
