The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-20
CBy William English Walling.
of the Vigilantes)

momentous conference is to occur be.
fore the end Of August.
1t is probable that the motive of
Great Britain is not only to meet Rus.
sia half way but also to formulate a
program that will enable all the entente
powers TO combat more effectively the
insidious pro-German peace propaganda
which has obtained a foot-hod not
only in Russia but in America, in Great
Britain, in Italy, and even in France
1t may be seen at a glance that the
coming conference will aid immensely
In disclosing the purely German ten
dency Of this propaganda.
Undoubtedly, the two chief interna.
tional principles promulgated by the
entente in their last peace statement,
which dates from January, were the
demand for the free economic develop.
ment Of all peoples" and the demand for
a guarantee Of the land and sea from.
tiers Of all peoples" Now the German
imperialists have declared that they
wish to ensure the application of these
identical principles to Germany either
by changes of frontiers in favor OF
Germany or by means Of a partial con.
troll over conquered territories and the
territories of neighbors and allies. and
the text Of the entente note does not
make 1t clear that the entente did not
| intend to use the same method. So
the August conference viii make it
clear that the entente does not under.
take to make all peoples safe by means
Of territorial readjustments alone. al.
though It will insist on territorial chan.
ges as a military guarantee wherever
democracy also requires them. Il will
guarantee the safety Of all peoples only
as far as this can be done by the mill.
tary and economic power Of league Of
democratic nations to enforce peace
Even more rarely can the free eco
nomic development" Of people be Sc
cured by territorial changes alone.
though this aim may be accomplished
by territorial transfers in some in.
stances. But if the democratic league
Of nations becomes an economic league
AS it must, if It is to use economic
weapons, or even If It is TO hold together
at all as a permanent international in.
stitutlon-it may be able effectively TO
guarantee a more and more free eco
nomic development Of all peoples-uslng
either its economic or its military power
Tor both for this purpose
Other phrases used by the January
note of the entente seemed to suggest
territorial changes opposed TO the prin.
ciples both Of democratic Russia and Of
democratic Americans Mr.. Wilson has
expressed them. The demand was made
for the restitution of provinces and
territories formerly torn from the allies
by force or contrary TO the wishes Of
their inhabitants" This phrase might
seem 10 carry us back a thousand years.
as the former German chancellor. Won
Buelow does in his Imperial Germany"
II read literally II would restore Poland
in its maximum condition Of two cen.
turies ago, giving it a number Of sub
ject peoples, and including the port Of
Dantzig. German for generations. II
would restore TO Italy the ancient Adri-
attic empire Of Venice. In fact. Balfour
officially demanded dn his January motel
the restoration of Italia Irredenta en-
tire, although Sonnino himself now
limits Italy's terms 10 a demand for
Italian security" which would mean a
far more modest and practicable terri.
torial transfer. The phrase becomes
just only II some such word as recent
ly" is substituted for formerly" Among
historically recent conquests are those
OF Danish Schleswig Holstein OS6D and
French Alsace-Lorraine QS70D. also Bos.
MIA and Herzegovina Qs7S and 1909.
and it is undoubtedly such conquests
that the August conference will de.
nounce.
Next, the entente demanded "the lib
Grafton from foreign domination" OF a
specific list Of peoples. II would have
been better TO demand their liberation
according TO Lloyd Georges criterion
"the wishes OF the inhabitants" IL is
true that these wishes cannot be freely
expressed as long as these peoples are
under duress or expect 10 remain under
duress in the future But this does not
invalidate the principle in the slightest
degree; II merely increases the technical
labor OF applying Il. Nobody doubts
that the Rumanians OF Hungary wish
to be annexed TO Rumania. But the
precise degree Of independence that
would be desired by each fthe Slav
groups Of Austria and Hungary. espec.
tally II Austria.Hungary becomes a dem.
ocracy, Is most questionable. The en-.
tente note OF January did not deal with
this problem; the August conference
will.
Nor did the entente. in. its January
note, definitely declare for the interna.
tionallzation Of the Bosphorus and Oar.
danelles-with a sufficient territory TO
give military protection. Even II one
or more nations are allotted the task
OF furnishing the international police,
this is evidently the solution OF the
problem that will be adopted at this
months conference. The situation Il
similar as 10 Mesopotamia, Arabia. Sy.
ria and Palestine and the German colo
nies. Lloyd George has declared that
Germany and Turkey have shown them.
selves unfit 10 govern these territories
and that they should be ruled in &C.
cordance with the wishes OF their In.
habitants. II remains 20 declare that
those wishes should be ascertalned by
.-ta.....f