South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-15
THEY CAN'T GO BACK TO
TREATIES.

Sooner or later this war must end.
Sooner or later the nations will seat
themselves at council board to de-
eide how the peace Of Europe is to
be secured-hOw future wars are to
be prevented.
Once the process seemed simple.
The representatives of the stronger
nations dictated their will to the
weaker. And this solution was en-
bodied in scraps OF paper which were
regarded as great accomplishments.
These scraps of paper were treaties.
They were presumed to have the
highest moral and legal sanction con-
ceivable. y nations honor was sup
posed to be pledged 10 their observ-
ance. The diplomats could conceive
of no more binding form Of cbliga-
ton.
But the representatives of the ma
tons which issue VIGOROUSLY from
this war will be confronted by a diff
ferent situation. The old fetichism
of treaties has vanished in the light OF
plain facts Treaties bind as long as
they are convenient. They vanish in
TO thin air when they are not
Who doubts it? on Thursday
Turkey tore up treaties with all the
nations of Europe with the cynical
comment: This war is Turkeys OPP
portunity." At the beginning of the
war Germany tore up treaties guar
anteeing the neutrality of Belgium
and Luxembourg.
On Friday was published from Ger
man sources royal correspondence
purporting to show how the Franco
German conflict might have been
avoided. And this correspondence
shows that Germany's idea was to get
England TO persuade France not TO
keep her treaty with Russia.
These facts the representatives of
Of the nations in council must take
into account. They will naturally say:
I'VE have fought this war TO the bit
ter end to insure a lasting peace. A
lasting peace means guarantees. what
guarantees are there, in the light OF
history. that are worth considering?
Not treaties, certainly. Not the
exhaustion OF one side, for exhaustion
is sure to be repaired. Not a new APP
plication OF the old balance of pow
err theory. because that theory has
crumbled TO pieces. Not anything
that has yet been tried. for everything
that has vet been tried has only
served TO lead the world to the great
est war in history"
Proceeding along this logical line,
considering the naked facts, they
must, If they want the peace which
they make TO be lasting and bene-
ficient, be irresistibly driven to the
conclusion that there is but one guar
antee that promises results. That is
disarmament"
There is no need to blink the facts
The vast machinery that prepares for
war must be abandoned. The sure
foundations of lasting peace can never
rest on the sure foundations of lasting
war The two are antagOnistic and
irreconcilable.
If the winning nations really want
TO end war-and all the nations now
al war profess that aim-they must
couple their demands for the limita-
ton or abandonment of the anna
ments of the vaAQuished with like
surrender OF their own machinery OF
aggression. There is no other way.
They can't get back 10 treaties.
They can't restore the inviolable au-
thority that once was supposed 10 be
embodied In scrapes OF paper HUI
manity idealism. experience. patriot
ism all point resOlutely in one ana
but one direction. Lay Down Your
Arms" -Chicago Herald.