New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
Russian anarchy Might
Poison Civilization,

eve must not forget the enormous
importance of the Russian question
and how much is at stake on its right
solution. The only hope for Russia is
to be found in the fact that there are
countries where a dissolution of the
social fabric has not yet set in which
are able to sustain and help her.
"If Russian anarchy should be per-
mitted to spread through Western
civilization, that civilization would fall.
We have had in the past one great les
Rome throughout the Western empire.
The ruin of the Roman civilization was
followed by the Dark Ages, as they
were called, and it took thousand
years for Western Europe to creep
slowly back to the plane of the civliza-
tion which had been destroyed.
ut is easy to wreck a great civiliza-
ton. 1t is the work of centuries to
restore it. We cannot leave Russia
lying helpless and breathing out in
fection on the world. We must help to
bring her back to health and sanity
and wellbeing. Some proper settle
lutely vital to the modern civilization
of which we are part. We cannot
disregard it or stand by as idle spec
tators without making any effort to
aid Russia to rid herself of the poison
which is now eating out her life and
once more resume her place among the
great nations of the world"
Turning to the Chinese question, he
said:
Beyond Russia lies the Empire of
China, divided now into two govern
ments;; Our interest in China has al
ways been great. IL vas never greater
than at tho Dracant y,,op,o,+ o,..
safety in the Pacific may we'll depend
upon the right settlement of the
Chinese question"
Senator Lodge declared the first step
should be to make peace with Germany
and to settle the grave problems inse D.
arably connected with the war, which,
ne said, are almost appalling in their
dltilculty and magnitude
Would it not be folly to attempt at
this moment to go further?" he asked.
Gould anything be more unwise than
subjects which may lead to division
among the nations which have con
quered Germany and retard the settle
ment of all the difficulties to which this
war has given rise?
"The other questions to which | re-
fer and which I think ought at this
time certainly to be postponed, are
those suggested by the President in his
first four points and in his last point
of January 8. The first one relates tc
secret diplomacy. The crying evil oil
what is loosely called secret diplomacy
lies in the secret treaties familiar te
Europe. No such treaties ought tc
exist. They never have existed in this
country. They cannot exist under the
Constitution, because the Senate is ar
integral part of the treaty making
! power.
GAS to the negotiations by which
treaties are brought into existence
there must be a certain amount of Sc.
crecy. If all informal discussions OF
differences between nations were criec
from the housetops and discussed ir
public assemblies we should produc.
abundance of quarrels and very few
treaties. There are parts of negotia
tlons and certain gatherings of the ma
tions in convention, such as we have
had at The Hague, which can no doubt
be made public, but that all the pre-
liminares of negotiations and all dis
cussions leading up to them should be
in public seems to me impossible.
think it will be generally admitted that
we have never had more secret diplo
macy than in the last four years under
President Wilson, which would seem tt
indicate that it is easier to talk abou
than to discard or abandon those
methods"