Stage Whisper

Lord Curzon called across the sea in a stage whisper to America: "Are you still willing to help us find a solution of the reparations mess? Yes? But you wouldn't be, if France won't join us, would you ?"

Secretary Hughes called back: "Sure, we're willing to help, but, of course, it's no use if France doesn't come in!"

And Poincare reluctantly grumbled : "Yes, we'll help."

So the matter was settled.

Colonel George Harvey, Ambassador at the Court of St. James, was preparing to sail for home. Before he left, he attended a farewell din- ner of the famous Anglo-American Society, The Pilgrims. There he made a speech in which he said two things: 1) that our Administration has been accused of having no foreign policy; 2) that our Government had exhibited its policy and offered its services to Europe when Secretary Hughes, in a speech at New Haven last December, made a proposal for reparation settlement.

In New Haven Mr. Hughes had said: Why should the nations concerned with reparations not invite men of the highest authority in finance in their respective countries, men of such prestige, experience and honor that their agreement upon the amount to be paid and upon a financial plan for working out the payments would be accepted throughout the world as the most authoritative expression obtainable? Governments need not bind themselves in advance to accept the recommendations.

Mr. Hughes had added:

I have no doubt that distinguished Americans would be willing to serve on such a commission.

Hardly two days after the Harvey speech in London, the Hughes proposal was dramatically revived, by the publication of two notes which passed, about three weeks ago, between Lord Curzon, British Foreign Secretary, and Secretary Hughes.

The publication was a form of reply to the assertion that Mr. Hughes had no foreign policy. But there was another reason. Great Britain, France and the U. S. knew very well one another's attitude. But France had no intention of yielding to a reasonable solution of the reparations question. Only to let the whole world know that France's holding back alone prevented the solution, could move France to reconsider.

So Lord Curzon formally asked whether the Hughes proposal was still open. And Secretary Hughes formally replied that it was -- if France assented.

The reply from the Secretary of State to Lord Curzon asserted that our Government is entirely willing to take part in an economic conference "for the purpose of considering the questions of the capacity of Germany to make reparations payments and an appropriate financial plan for securing such payments."

Four conditions Mr. Hughes placed on this acquiescence:

1) That Germany was not to be ''relieved of her responsibility for the War or her just obligations."

2) That the findings of the conference should be advisory and not binding on the Governments involved.

3) That the question of German reparations should in no way affect the standing of allied debts to the United States.

4) That France must be a party to the conference -- or in diplomatic language -- "that the questions involved cannot be finally settled without the concurrence of the European Governments directly concerned."

The publication of this note places the United States once more in the position of having an active foreign policy. Senator Medill McCormick of Illinois criticized the plan chiefly on the grounds that it was folly to deal with a man of M. Poincare's " intractability." He may well have voiced the first argument of Hiram Johnson's campaign for the Republican nomination in 1924.