Evening star., 1919-03-02

with Germany and that Germany has
SO far come practically immune out
Of the great conflict.
She has been in a large measure
disarmed, it is true, but, with the
cessation of hostilities she finds her
self deprived Of weapons for which
she has no use and still supplied
with implements of peace, for which
she has immediate use, while France
for example. finds herself greatly IN
creased in military weapons no longer
of value, but still lacking in all the
machinery of agriculture and of pro-
Auction.
No League of Nations Yet.
The greatest single danger that one
fears at Paris now is lest the peo-
pies who have fought the war snail
be deluded now by the idea that the
league of nations covenant, which is
really only a rough sketch, is not
only a treaty of itself, but the guar
B antee of the preservation of peace IN
the future. Obviously, it is now noth-
ing but a collection of words not
even vet adopted by any official oody
in any of the allied countries or ny
the peace conference itself
To understand the problem of peace,
the real problem of peace with Ger
many il is necessary to go back for
nome mt to the situation of Europe and
of the rest of the world in July. 1914
when Germany launched her great at
tack upon civilization for the pur-
nose of achieving world domination
At that time Europe was more or less
evenly divided into two great ALL
Ances, the triple alliance of Germany,
, Austria and Italy and the triple en-
tente of France. Russia and Great
Britain, in which Russia and France
only were actual allies.
Formed Balance of Power"
This was the balance of power
Theoretically, both groups were SO
nearly equal in strength that neither
could venture to risk war. with at
least half chance of defeat
But now. after four and a half years
of war, what is the situation? Rus
sia. the greatest military force in the
triple entente has disappeared IN
chaos, but such elements of power
and organization as exist stu IN that
chaos are in the main friendly to
Germany and ready to cooperate
with Germany. The triple entente of
1914, then. has not only lost Russia,
but has seen Russia in some measure
change sides and become an enemy,
with her vast potential resources not
unlikely to become German assets IN
the future.
TO balance the downfall of Russia
, we have the collapse of Austria, but
Austria was never one-tenth as I'M
portant a factor in the triple alilance
as Russia was in the triple entente,
and already we see the Germans OF
!. Austria seeking to unite themselves
with Germany: and ii is patent thai
some similar alliance will be sought
by the Hungarians as a result OF
changes to be made in Hungarian
territory through the liberation of the
Siavs and Rumanians. Thus more than
twenty millions of Austrian subjects
! will remain associated with Germany,
and il was precisely this element
which supplied the main aid Germany
could obtain from her Hapsburg as
sociate. Germany has thus saved al
most half of Austria, while the allies
have not only lost all of Russia but
have seen Russia marching toward
italy Not Stable Factor.
Now, by contrast. Italy has associ-
ated herself with Great Britain and
France. but before the war Italy was
economically as we'll as politically
penetrated by Germans. There was no
profound bitterness between the Ger
mans and Italians, even during the
present war. and there exists for the
future no real basis for jealousy now
that italy has achieved reintegration
of the Austrian-Italian population.
Italys present sympathies are un-
Questionably with Great Britain and
France; but Italy's commercial inter
ests in the future, even more than in
the past. viii be with the central
powers as result of geographical
gerate the Italian danger. but it is
hardly possible to exaggerate it il
the conference at Paris fails to give
Italy that DalmatiaB prize promised
her at the moment when she came
into the war by both Great Britain
and France, and exactly this is
threatened through the influence of
President Wilson
II comes down, after all to this.
That Germany has abolished Russia,
and not simply abolished her but pre-
pared the way for future German eco
nomic, political and perhaps even mill
ttary predoninance in that vast area
which was once the Romanoff empire
She has saved for her own influence
out of the wreck of Austria fractions
which were alone of very great i'm
Dortance. She will have added thou
sands Of square miles of territory and
six or seven million of people to her
population as a result of the unsuc-
cessful war, since II is clear now to
everybody that union of Austrian
Germany with northern Germany is
no longer to be prevented. She has as
sured herself population of nearly
eighty millions. almost entirely Ger
man. inclosing most of the Bohemia la n
states, which, however politically in
dependent, must for all time be eco
nomically dependent upon Germany
for access to the open markets of the
world
Faced by Weakened France.
Now the only absolute force left in
IS France. with a population of thirty
nine millions, with her industrial re-
gions ruined, with her transportation
system over all the northern regions
sboIished, with colossal debt and
with . sacrifice in life alone as a con-
sequence OF the war which exceeds
three million lives Obviously II is
beyond the resources of France to
hold Germany again as she did for
the greater part of four years of war
II Germany shall have a new accession
,cf militaristic and imperialistic am
bition-
The brutal truth is that IL Germany
= has not undergone change of spirit
as result of the war, or if Ger
many is not put out of the race for
t. = ~ Il