New-York tribune., 1918-12-24

Mn THE past week there has been
q renewed both in Europe and Amer
lca the debate as to whether the
first business Of the peace congress
should be liquidating the past war or
reorganizing future international rela-
tions. There has been at all times q
considerable body of opinion favorlng
disposing of the war first, and as the
difficulties in the pathway of peace con-
tinue to multiply and the probable date
of the signing Of the definitive treaty
of peace is postponed from April to
June, this opirion is making itself felt
more powerfully.
The one sound precedent in the pres
ent situation, that Of the Congress Of
Vienna, points unmis.akably toward
making peace before all else When the
allies of 1914 had overthrow NaDoleon
and Napoleon had abdicated and set out
for Elba, his conquerors within a brief
time made peace with France. It was a
fair and even a generous peace; France
retained her frontiers of 1899, with GER
tain notable additions The purpose Of
these concessions to the conquered was
to insure the retention of the throne
by Louis XVIII, who had been placed in
power by the allies. Had France been
mutilated or mulcted Louis could not
have kept he throne; in fact, despite
these concessions, he lost it promptly
when Napoleon returned from Elba.
But, having settled the war, the allies
with France now recognized as an equal
went to Vienna and there made the
memorable agreement which kept Eu-
rope in chains for more than half a cen
tury and perpetuated evils which en-
dured to the moment when Germany
was overthrow in the current wear
Yet the purpose of the allies was the
purpose Of the nations now united
against Germany: they sought to make
war impossible, and they created
league of nations in the form of the
Holy Alliance.
At the present hour the effort is being
made to combine the two obviously con-
f1lctlng obJectlves; the same congress is
to deal with conquered Germany. exact
ing penalties in territory and in money
not penalties for Germany's defeat, but
penalties growing out of wrongs COM
mltted by Germany against nations bv
1ne wrongful annexation of territory or
by the wanton destruction of pronertv
At the same time new nations are to
bo
tlonal society is to be reorganized. with
the league of nations as the basis Of the
new order.
The normal order of procedure in
tackllng this gigantic task would seem
to be to dispose of Germany first. fix
ing the reparations and restorations ter
rltorlal and otherwise which she is to
make. Secondly, to delimit the new
states, which, once they are created will
become part Of new league of ma
tions, and finally to proceed to the or
ganization Of the league of nations.
The main obstacle to pursuing such
logical course seems to be the fear in
certain quarters that if the league Of
nations is not made as the first step it
never will be made, and that the peace
congress will adjourn. after having made
another old-fashioned bargain counter
settlement. But is Is any less to be
feared that Bolshevism and rivalries be-
tween races will create situation he
yond the resources of the league CT
nations to settle, or requiring new
campaign to settle, if peace awaits the
termination of the debate about the
freedom of the seas, for example?