The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-30
life OF NATIONS NOT.
Be IDEAL IN FUTURE
such a Lofty Aim Not Attained Re-
cause Hearts Of Men Beat To-
ward IL, Says Erzhrrger.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS PLAN.
Declares Bcthmann-Ht Ilwcr Express
ed Gcrmany's Readiness to Join
Alltancc--Quotes Former Chanccl-
ior's Policy OF Force

by Or. MATTHIAS ERZBERGER,
Chairman of the German Arrnistice
Commission, Leader OF the German
Nentrtst Party, and Former Secre-
tary of State.
fTranslation by Universal Service
1t was world historic moment
when the former imperial chancellor.
i)r- Won Bethmann- Holiweg. in No
Vember, 1915, expressed in the reich
stag his deep humane feeling with
the words of that CRY for peaceabie
agreements and understandings"
which. he said. would rise from all
mankind after the war---a cry for
agreements which would prevent the
recurrence of such wars az this. Two
more years of war have since passed
years flled to overfiowing with suf-
fering and blood and tears
The cry has found n millionfoid
echo I'm all nations All clamor for
guarantees against the world being
again converted into n slaughter
house. In all countries those who
saw with their own eyes the horrors
of war, and who felt these horrors
in their own flesh and body, realize
the senselessness of whole peoples
sacrificing the flower of their man.
| hood in Strengthening each other
This realization is taliizing into
mighty impulse, -ef will the viii to
help free the world from the ten
tGcles of brutal force, and to intro
duce into the relations of states the
| means OF justice and arbitration
| which settle disputes between in
! dividuals-
/ This movement will come. Indeed.
1t liz already on the wing. The idea
! OF league OF nations is occpyiug
the worlds minds, even those cloud
ed by the narrowest chauvinism. In
| more or less impressive form. this
! idea hovers over the roar of battle
as a hope, demand, memory of
the common bond that binds the
/ peoples,
| Fighting for New Era
| Many who daily rise from the
) trenches that encompass the world,
| rise confidently because they are
borne by the hope that they are fight
| Ing for. a new era, because they feel
| themselves cornerstones for this new
age.
| To be sure, he life Of nations will
not he ideal In the future Such a
! lofty aim is not attained merely be-
| cause the hearts of men beat towars,
| It. But without the deep. living emo
ton that carries mons minds for
| ward In great movement such great
| aims cannot be reat1zed, their diff
! culties cannot be solved.
1 All those. however. who speak for
/ their peoples and represent them have
the duty to put into tangible form
: that which they feel. 10 define the
! new problems 30 give them "A con-
/ crete direction and to incorporate
them In their policies
! II is not too much To say that all
nations strive for new order In the
! international system, AN order by
which future wars will be averted.
Nor Is II saying too much TO say that
all governments arc considering this
| problem.
Idea Not Dfscresiited.
The idea of lea que of nations il
by no means discreditcd by the fact
that it is FIRST being treated in Paris
! and London with considerable dose
Of selfishness.
, Within the ranks of the entente tho
struggle between conquest politicians
! and sane circles Is even less at an end
! than in our midst The conquest
I politicians are exploiting the league
lot na4fo4ta motives I'll Order to- keep
together their own peoples or Il forge
a new weapon against the central
! poNers- through aeHfai+ee- 4e4ei,-s,
{ league to the entente nations.
But no entente statesmen dares
to omit the mention OF tho LEAGUE OF
| nations in his public utterances.
! Among the men In England who
are dealing seriously and practically
with the questions of recorgani-
cation OF international life and who
are convinced that il concerns all. is
Niscount Grey.
/ II may be recalled that ut the mo
ment when the world sank into tho
! abyss of war, ii WAS Grey who CON
ceived the idea Of the obsoleteness 81
the old coalition system and of The
necessity of its being replaced by a
new system.
/ In his note to the German imperial
chancellor OF July 81 1914. he prom
/ Used that. in case peace would he pre-
served and the crisis overcome, he
would further an agreement with
German pariieipatien by which Ger
many would obtain certainty that
France. Russia and England would
pursue no policy hostile to the triple
Let Wheel Of Risk Run.
Gray then let tho wheel Of risk
| run. Nevertheless. the fact alone
that Grey. in the midst of the rafting
course Of tho wheel work of the old
international political system. touched
upon the necessity for something that
/ looked like q Euronean federation Of
states, IL remarkable,
Thus II was Grey too, who on Oc-
tober 20. 1916, greeted ioyfully Presi-
dent Wilson's plan. uttered by the
American chief in his speech OF the
preceding May for the formation OF
| a federation which. after the war.
should bring about an international
agreement safeguarding the peace OF
The world.
The first concrete German utternnce
regarding the Idea OF league of ma
tons is found in the above mentioned
speech OF Dr, Won Bethmann- Fl ollweg.
(which was reply TO Viscount Grey.
The chancellor rightly dwelt upon
the important point that the principle
Of Justice and free development must
be carried out at sea as well as on
land.
Holiw~E'x "PoIscy Of Fovce.~
(Note DR.. Erxberger then repeats
the WORKOUT Christian charges re-
gardirE .England's tyranny Of the
seas" toward the neutrals, and quotes
at length from Bethmann-H ollweg' $
speech regarding the policy OF
force")
The chancellor thus expressed Ger
many's readiness. in principle. to enter
into a league of nations and desig-
mated. as the first condition for its
ha ~ ID