The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-21
THE WAR OVER PEACE.


Almost everyone from Senator Lodge on the one
extreme to the Bolshevild the other, has his
pet panacea for the ills of mankind to be admin
lstered through the medium of the peace con-
ference.
senator Lodges twenty -one points which
peace was to be based. do not reflect the astute-
ness and grasp Of affairs usually attributed to the
Massachusetts statesman. For example, he says the
Central Powers are to return indemnities, which
has already been taken care Of by the armistice He
demands the return of Alsace and Lorraine, but
Ignores the point at issue, which is the Lor-
raine frontier. Is it to be the boundary OF 1870
or Of 1914? Italia Irrendenta is to go to Italy,
and here the very important claims of the Jugo-
SlaHs are ignored. There many other such
Iapses which place the program outside the
bounds of consideration until it is revised at least
Then comes Mr. Roosevets program. He
would inaugurate the league Of nations with the
present Allies only, and would add other nations
to the league only as they proved their right to
admission. He would refrain from interfering In
the internal affairs of disordery nations, except
to protect the rights of the league nations. He
would avoid any disarmament and keep the
American navy second to Great Britains. He
would introduce universal military training and
reserve certain rights. such as control OF immi-
grafton to be outside the bounds Of the leagues
Jurisdiction.
Mr.. Roosevelts program promises relief from
the burden of mtarisn His supporters will
argue that he merely accepts unpleasant facts
and lis not afraid to face them. At any rate he
places his faith in force and the strong right arm
and holds out no immediate hope OF freeing the
world from the burden of armaments.
Mr.. Taft's League to Enforce Peace contains q
clause providing for gradual disarmament The
disarmament was to come as rapidly as the league
demonstrated it's usefulness and efficiency, and
armies and navies were to be kept just 80 long
as they were thought needful, but no longer.
They were to be international police force to
be reduced as the world grew peaceful. There
was nothing in this program to clash with Eng
lands insistence in the maintenance of her feet.
Mr. Taft does not hold out his plans imme-
diate panacea. 1--WE must be patient" he says.
reforms of this kind do not come at once, and
should not be expected We take an important
step and it's success leads to its growth"
Then there is the view of Senator Knox, who
would postpone all consideration OF league of
nations until after peace has been brought about
and who would enforce restitution. reparaton,
and some form Of peace guaranty by peace con-
ditipns that would compel compliance onst part
of Germany and make it impossible for her to
again become dangerous. Pas 4
The Bolshevfsts OF course, want a. universal
proletarianism and would keep peace by the Sim
pie process of shooting anyone who disagrees with
them. Their plan has the merit of simplicity.
President Wilson's own ideas are not available
except by inference. Probably they would be
based on his fourteen peace points, but these are
so abstract in their wording that they mean
ingless as the basis of concrete peace treaty.
Differences in Interpretation might be so wide
as to permit nations holding absolute opposing
viewg to subscribe to them. Perhaps he has a
definite plan prepared, but we doubt it. 1t is
more likely that he realizes that the peace plan
must grow rather than spring into being over
night. 1t must slowly evolve, and The Forum
is inclined to believe that President Wilson is
keeping an open mind and is hoping only to direct
the general growth Of the idea Of the league Of
nations along the lines which he is thinking.
On one thing most Americans are agreed. There
must be some steps taken to enforce permanent
peace and permit of general disarmament. or else
this war will have been fought in vain. The
plan should come from the peace conference,
either directly or indirectly.
The most concrete plan yet presented, and one
to which serious objections have yet been
raised, is offered by Mr.. Taft's League to Enforce
Peace. It offers at least a starting point from
which to build and Mr.. Taft holds out no false
hopes that it will suddenly turn the world into
Utopia. -at 4. @r.r