Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

I sees that Germany changed her tone
but only after her defeat was too un-
| mistakable to be further concealed
| from the mass Of the German people
! He has been fighting the German and
| he has pretty shrewd notion OF the
enemy. He has measured him men
| tally as well as physically, and. he
does not find any promise in a league
| of nations which includes Germ any
and he recognizes that unless the
| league of nations includes Germany 1t
! is nothing more nor less than another
alliance of the old sort.
English View of League.
Looking now to my English ac-
uuaintances, I am frank to say that
find in this quarter very little more
enthusiasm for a league of nations OF
the sort which Mr. Wilson seems 70
advocate. There is the same gratitude
for American aid that the French
show. There is: the same unqualified
praise for what we have done, praise
generous beyond measure. There. is.
| beyond this, Il certain inarticuiate
sa tisfaetion that after a century and
,aore Of mutual misunderstanding and
intellectual and sympathetic Separa-
ton Il world war has supplied the
opportunity for the two branches OF
the English-speaking race to draw
near to each other.
And again, for any request America
should make for herself in the peace
congress. l am satisfied there would
be quite as prompt a British support
as a French Endorsement. feel sure
that both the British and the French
would be glad to sacrifice some por-
ton of their own interests If by that
sacrifice they could please America
or prove their gratitude. But, just as
1.-THE French are apprehensive, the
British are disturbed. and their dis
quiet grows out of the reported pur-
pose of America, at the peace con-
ference, to seek to transfer from Brit
ain to some international body the
mastery of the seas, the power which
in British hands. has Just saved the
world and prevented the downfall OF
the British empire.
IT we should ask the British to as
sociate with US in a league made up
of America and Britain. with France
and Italy as lesser partners. to regu-
late the oceans, to police them. ] do
not think there would be the smallest
hesitancy on the British part. for the
British would trust us to play the
game fairly, to mean what our words
seemed to mean when we spoke them.
TO hold to our pledges when we had
given them. But, again, the danger
seems to be that we shall advocate
the admission of the German into that
association, the German who has just
desisted from submarine murderings
because he encountered a higher law
of necessity than the one he invoked
when he started his ruthless sea
slaughter.
II is very difficult to put down clear,
ly the Impressions 1 gather from
those of our associated nations with
whom l discuss the question Of a
league of nations, but the Upshot Of
my impressions is that neither the
British nor the French regard the
proposal with any real enthusiasm,
not because they have selfish ambi-
tons which would be interfeEed with,
not because they have vindictive pas
sions which they mean to crafty,
but solely and simply because four
years of war with the German have
taught them certain bitter lessons
and aroused enduring anxieties. The
Enslishaian was almost childlille in
his faith in the validity Of documents
like the treaty guaranteeing the neu-
trafity of Belgium. The British min
istry which was in power in the
period just preceding the war will
be held up to scorn for centuries to
come because of the extent to which
it trusted the assurances OF German
public men.