The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-18
pointed moment power might be
achieved.
Berlin and Treaties.


tanning peace were not likely to find
| much favor at Berlin; they did not
prove that such treaties once made
would be utterly Intellectual. This
became evident only when war had
broken out, though the demonstra-
ton, when it came, was overwh elm
ing.
SO long as Germany remains the
Germany which without a shadow OF
justification overran and barbar-
ously ill-treated q country it was
pledged to defend, no state can regard
it's rights as secure if they have no
better protection than a solemn
treaty.
The case is made worse by the re-
Election that these meth0 DDS of cal
culated brutality were designed by
the Central Powers not merely to
crush to the dust those with whom
they were at war, but\to intimidate
those with whom they were still at
peace. Belgium was not only a VIC
tim, it was. an example.
Neutrals were intended to note the
outrag es which accompanied it's con-
quest, the reign of terror which fol-
lowed on it's occupation, the deporta-
ton of a portion of it's population.
the cruel oppression of the remainder.
And lest the nations happily pro-
tected either by British fleets or by
their own from German armies should
suppose themselves safe from Germa n
methods, the submarine has (within
it's limits) assiduously initiated the
barbarous practices of the sister SER
vice. The War Staffs of the Central
Powers are we'll content to horrify the
word if at the same time they can
terrorize it.
Peace Based on Force.
If, then, the Central Powers sue
coed, it will be to methods like these
that they will owe their success. How
can any reform of international rela-
tons be based on a peace thus OBJ
tanned? Such a peace would repre-
sent the triumph of all the forces
which make war certain and make it
brutal. It would advertise the flu
tility of all the methods on which
civilization relies to eliminate the
occasions of international dispute and
ITO mitigate their ferocity.
Germany and Austria made the
present war inevitable by attacking
the rights of one small state, and they
gained their initial triumphs by vio-
lating the treaty guarantees of the
territories of another. Are small
states going to find in them their fu-
ture protectors or in treaties made by
them a bulwark against oppression?
Terrorism by land and sea will have
proved itself the instrument of VIC
tory. Are the v4ctors likely to aban-
don it on the appeal of neutra1s?
If existing treaties are no more than
scraps of paper, can fresh treaties
help us? If the violation Of the most
fundamental canons of internationa>
law be crowned with success, will it
not be in vain that the assembled
nations labor to improve their code?
None will profit by their rules but
powers who break them. It is those
who keep them that will suffer.
Though, therefore, the people of this
country share to the full the desire Oh
the President for peace, they do not
believe peace can be durable if it be
not based on the success of the allied
cause. For a durable peace can hardly
be expected unless three conditions
are fulfilled.
International unrest should be as
The second is that the aggressive
aims and the interruptions methods
of the Central Powers should fall
into disrepute among their own peo-
pies. The third is~that behind inter-
national law and behind all treaty ar
rangements for preventing or limiting
hostilities some form of International
sanction should be Devised which
would give pause to the hardest ag
These conditions may be difficult
of fulfilment, but we believe them to
be in general harmony with the Pres
ident's ideas and we are confident
that none of them can be satisfied,
even imperfectly, unless peace be Sc
cured on the general lines Indicated
ESQ far as Europe is concerned) in
the joint note.
Therefore, it is that this country
has made, is making and is prepared
to make sacrifices of blood and treas
ure unparalleled in it's history. It
bears these heavy burdens not mere
ly that it may thus fulfil it's treaty
obligations, nor yet that it may Sc
cure barren triumph of one group
of nations over another.
1t bears them because it firmly be-
iieves that on the success of the
Allies depend the prospects of peace
full civilization and of those interna-
tional reforms which the best think
ers of the New World as of the Old
dare to hope may follow on the ces-
sation Of our present calamities. ]
am, etc,
ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR.
London, Jan. Recommending on
the note of Foreign Secretary Bal
four supplementary to the Entente re-
ply to President Wilson. the Man
chester Guardian says: 1
'The most notable words in Mr..
Balfour's dispatch are those in which
he speaks of the American proposal
for a league of nations. The war has
shown that no international law is of
the; least avail as a protection against
a power INSCRIPTIONS enough to dis
regardNit and strong enough to despise
the condemnation of neutrals."
The newspaper expresses belief that
there must be force behind interna-
tionals law and thinks this is con-
.emplated by the proposal of a league
to enforce peace
"But what is necessary in discuss
ing the matter with Americans" says
he Guardian, lis that we should make
them realize that the whole thing was
breath and words unless they, along
40 yro1 iv,i