South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-01
BY FRANK H. SIMOND
NewS-Times and Associated Newspapers
War Expert.

willing member OF any such association or surrender
for the time language alone her freedom or
submit but circumvent?
this if for example certain nations in the
number OF those associated Germany 90 70 Yer
sales with the view that seeking repartion and rti-
tuition must be the chief objective others go with
the belief that reparation restitution are less Inn
portant than the creation of real League OF Nations.
will there not be spit between the victors IN this
war and Will not the Germans DE able make OF
TINS sPhI naturally alying themselves with those who
seek 20 promote the League Nations rather than the
claims for restitution and PREPARATION
And If such divergence OF detectives occurs Il
to inevitable that the United States which
has material injury Of consequences and il
therefore least concerned itself any claim for
restitution reparation viii be most likely 70 drift
toward community OF action with Germans IN the
furtherance Of the scheme for League Nations az
the sacrifice OF the claims Tor reparaton Britain
France and italy well Belgium and Serbia
The Germans moreover. whatever degree Of order
they may succeed in establishing at home bound
as their course has already indicated. 70 20 Yer
sailes with nsisent demand generous terms ir,
order that their country may sink the Russian
state of anarchy consequence the burdens
posed upon IT, Tho plea may be sham or sincere but
in either II Will and viii make meas
Of impression It will be directed adroitly al
all the sociastc and anarChistic elements the allied
countries.
The result may easily chaos at Versailles an ex-
tension OF the sessions and months 20
the utter DISCRIMINATION OF the business Of the world
and the perpetuation Of conditions out OF which an
archy may Such delay. too TO the Ger
interest. be a German policy TO post
to the last possible any passing OF sen
fences upon her which will compel 20 make pay
ment II she could achieve permanent separation OF
the allies growing different values placed
reparation and the League Nations. then she
might escape altogether.
PROPOSES SEPARATION
OF TWO FUNCTIONS.
solution OF this tangle II seems to me must
be sought the separation two functions OF the
Versailles congress II the first business be the settle
with Germany the settlement which alone can
free the French and Begians intoerabe bur
den placed upon them by German deeds or destr~uc-
ton. then shall achieve peace. shall
it should be closed. and the way clear
creation League OF Nations But II the terms
of left to be the trading ground
adhesion a League Of Nations we shall get nowhere
and Germany may be able 70 escape from the cost. or
her crimes while the French and Belgian populations
left without compensation for their mseries viii be
hurried along the road which leads bolzhevisnl.
To impose peace terms upon Germany 8 A simple
business, for the things which the allies DO
all clearly established and undiscussibie The
only single point which debated IS that OF the
size or the money payment 10 be demanded OF Germany
and that be agreed upon promptly. When the con
gress assemblies at Versailles the allied
ready, they can be presented to Germany and German
acceptance be made the condition upon which the
problem Will be faced the problem OF organ
izaton OF the League Of Nations
But should mistake the opportunities which
the Germans will have 20 break up the unity OF their
enemies II the congress assem- bIes With no clear r
minds OF the allied representative and no
we'll defined understanding 20 which comes FIRST the
settlement OF the present the prevention of
future Taeyrand had the congress Vienna hy
the ears in no time although he represented beaten
France and had been barely before the agent
the abhorred Napoleon. Surely Prince Buow. n
he is called upon to perform the task for which ne has
been preparing four years will have hardly less
attractive opening
QUESTION OF
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
To take for example, single question ulat or th-
freedom Of the This either some sort ~
international understanding which VIII the op-
OF the dominant power Of or
II means nothing II It the former then II will
unquestonably be opposed by the British support
ed by the Germans Sea power used without regard
international law written before the OF the sub
in defiance OF the rules blockade which
based upon the conditions or SAL navigation has
Germany and saved the world. quite much
as Great Britain from German domination
Such being the ~ IS certain that the British
nation now, whatever might case A
generation hence n the League Of Nations shall demon
strate its efficiency. yield n degree that power
which alone has proved its salvation But Britain
fuses. ard Germany accepts proposal coming from
Pres't Wilson. what viii be the effect America
representatives az Versailles what VIII be the efec.
upon whole congress If the question reparation
and restitution remain unsettled while the congress
divides over the freedom or the seas?
think every one OF any humanitarian sympathies
hopes 10 see evolved Versailles some form OF inter-
national agreeent which may prove framework for
League OF Nations and real guarantee against
international Observation-Disclosures which eliminate in
evitbIy IN wars The danger which is apparent
today the danger that is disclosed in the inevitable
confusion which viii result r. before the present
liquidated interna tiona
ISOLATION become the cause OF difference debate
trangernent between this
only by seeking a common end by unity OF thought
DANGER OF \
PRICE TOO HIGH.
But If the condition and the only condition ~
League OF Nations be 20 make peace with GERMANY
VIII make victims OF German aggression ard
violence the past four bear the eventual bur-
dens OF that aggression then 81 that the
there less danger that may brought posi-
ton Of seeking 20 lessen the effectiveness IN Brans
hands OF the weapon which victory this
war depended namely the British navy operating
without regard 20 conventions. regulating the free