Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-30
The Peace
Table and After
No. J
A Ring of Iron or Ring of Putty?

The same Germany which. only Il
few months ago. seemed near Ia sue.
cess in an effort 10 dominate the
world by force If arms. will be IN ex-
iStence when the peace treaty is sign
ed. IL may not have the same rul-
erS. but II will be inhabited by the
same people-people who long have be
lieyed that military and political ex,
panSi0n should be coupled with com
mercial expansion.
This Germany will be surrounded
by a ring OF nations not one Of which,
alone, can compare even with defeat.
ed Germany In wealth and Industrial
power.
Whether this ring NJ nations shall
be a ring OF iron 10 resist German
aggression in the future of u ring of
putty in German hands rests partly
on the action 20 be taken Mt the peace
conference, but more upon the future
policy of the United States and the
great nations which have been aSsoci.
ated with her in war In reference to
continued support Of the states now
about 10 emerge from centuries of OPP
preston as Il result OF the great war.
Greatest Peril on the East.
or Belgium, of France, of Italy.
there is no doubt. Come what may
they may be depended upon 10 make the
western part OF the circle strong as
iron to resist German expansion.
1t Is on the eastern side of the cir
Gle that the greatest peril remains
peril that the nations which are to
be set up may In time become not
barriers TO German expansion. but
mere tools In her hands.
Among these will be Poland. which
has suffered deeply under the iron
heel Of German despotism; C2echo
Slovnkia, which. for centuries, has
croaned beneath the Hapsburg yoke ;
Ckrainla, which, during the war, es
capped from the power Of the car only
to be subjected to worse oppression :;
Roumania. which was driven perilous-
ly close to destruction In an effort TO
rescue the Roumanians outside her
border from Magyar tyranny; Jugo-
Slavia, and finally there will be indie
pendent Hungary, composed of head
strong and warlike people who have
been in close alliance with the Teu-
tons.
Grab Planned by Germany.
Germany herself, even while seem.
lncly victorious, planned nominal In
dependence for at least two of these
states-Poland and Crkrainia, but they
were to be thoroughly dominated by
German rulers until such time as It
might be convenient to absorb them
outright. Defeated Germany win seek
at the peace table to bring about con-
dltlons which will prevent them from
obtaining full economic independence,
and reconstructed Germany, whether
1t be republic or empire, will seek com
mercial dominance In all these lands
II remains for the United States and
the entente allies to see that these ma
tons not only are set up, but that
their governments are firmly establish
ed and their peoples given an oppor.
tunity to take their place In the indus
trial life of the world. This means
that money must be provided in the
shape of national loans to the new
governments and In the form of pri-
waite capital for the development of
natural resources.
Ships must be provided for the
development OF commerce to and from
their ports, and ports must be prOvid-
ed to harbor the ships. This latter
necessity is one which offers the first
prospect not only Of difficulty with
Germany but, perhaps, between some
Of the allies themselves. No German
government, whether it be imperial or
Industrial-soclaliSt will consent, un-
less 1t Is forced, to grant Poland a
port on the Baltic, yet Poland must
have such port If It Is to be really
independent of Germany. This means
that East Prussia must be cut off from
the remainder of Germany by a neck
Of land reaching up TO the Baltic, or
Poland will be economically strangled
Must Aid Czecho. Slovakia.
UkrnInia Will have It's commercial
outlet through the Black Sea. There
can be no possibility Of port for
Czecho-Slovakla This country Is es-
sentially inland, but, If the allies give
proper support, It's commercial outlets
may be through lands hostile to Ger,
man expansion.
As regards Jugo-Slavia It, remains
for the peace conference TO decide
whether this re1uyenated land shall
have suitable access to the AdriatC
or be driven back to dependence or
Germany by Italy depriying 1t Of It's
logical outlets to the sea.
There are hundred million or more
people In these border states to the
east. If all can be welded into a har
monlous chain, every link tempered &c
resist German aggression the barrier
to German expansion to the east will
hold. This Is a gigantic task--one
which only n league Of nations can
perforin--hecnuse Germany Is tn,
nearest nelghhor Of these lands
German political ldeas have moi