Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-16
What of Paris?
Christian Science Monitor,

Christian Science Monitor.
Perhaps the worst feature of the Shantung
betrayal is the destruction OF faith, caused by it.
in the justice of the decisions of the peace coun-
Gil. When a step has been taken manifesty so
politically immoral, the ordinary man is apt to
ask What next? and the cynic to murmur sar-
donically, IL told you so.' Every thoughtful
person knew. of course, that the real troubles
of the allies would come with the attempt to
make peace, but few, it is to be imagined, be-
lieved that the sentiments famed to keep the
| war flame burning would be snutfed out so
tremendously on the peace table: In the light
| however, of what has occurred the veriest Chi
| nese rce-hoer ght be forgiven for quoting an
epigram from that quaint and delightful teacher
Lao Tzu, to the effect that the shamelessness Of
| those who-preach duty to their neighbors Is
ordinarily shameless indeed: Alas, they know
! not shame, nor what it is to blush!
An inkling of what all this means, too real
| istc to be quite pleasant seems to have now
penetrated the Armenian mind, which is begin
| ming to discover a most uncomfortable prece
dent in Shantung. For while the Armenians
seem to have forgotten their old friends who
| stood by them when the opportunists and poll
| ticians were crossing the road in an endeavor
not to be confronted by the body of the man
who fell amongst thieves lying in the roadway.
| Paris seemed to be the center of the political
heavens, and to Paris the Armenlans turned
their faces. What they went out to see, how
ever, if they had only known it, was not the
driving force of Principle, but the riders in the
diplomatic chariot The diplomsts never have
yet done anything for Armenia, and until the
driving force of Principle becomes sufficiently
strong they never will. A generation of mas
sacres, while the diplomatists were writing
notes, ought to have convinced the Armenians
of that. They would have done far better to
have devoted their attention to congress or to
the parliament in London, certainly to con-
gress in particular: But no, the glamor and
mesmerism of Paris seem to have been too
strong for most people.
The truth is that the situation in Paris is
growing dangerous, and the sooner this is
recognized the better Shantung was a great
now comes the heralded effort to whitewash
the Turk at the expense of Armenia. Why all
the whitewash in London, Paris and New York
could never change the political complexion Of
that Immediately villainous trio, Enver, Talaat
and Djemal That well-known authority on
Armenia Arshag Mahdesan, now resident in
New York, told the readers of this paper, in a.
recent interview, that the price of the support
of the Ottoman empire by certain American
missionaries had been the safety of Robert
College. That is to say, they had opposed the
declaration of war by the United States in re-
turn for promise by Talaat Pasha that Robert
College should be held inviolate Talaat may
have made that promise; Talaat would have
made any promise. 1t was not in making, but
in keeping promises, that Talaat showed his
that Washington played Robert College against
the safety of the Christians in Turkey Robert
College may have been a pawn in the game,
Just as the attempt was made to thrust big bus
mess into it. But the intent of the White
House conferred in the safety of the Armenians
and Jews in Turkey generally, and of those in
Thrace more particularly.
Nevertheless, it is doubtful if there has ever
been great desire to remove the sultan, least
Il 1T. VI
and Washington have seen quite clearly what
the dividing up of the sick mans" inheritance
would mean The claimants we're already sit
ting, like the vultures, on the minarets of Con-
stantinope, the bazars of Damascus and the
rocks of the Cilician Gates Therefore, to
avoid the dangers Of the settlement, London
and Washington were it is to be imagined, will
ing to leave the sultan still sultan, but sui
tan under control This is not exactly what
the Armenians desired, but then the Armenians
had decided to go to Paris, and they are finding
it spelt Canossa. What London would like,
what Paris and Rome would not be exultant
over. but would agree to, would be the accept
ance by the United States of the mandate for
Turkey. If Mr.. Lloyd George at liberty
to speak he would say, 1t is the best thing for
the great powers the United States is the only
one which, today possesses the financial and
other resources for the undertaking. Besides
it will bring the United States into close per-
manent touch with the world problems, and that
also will be all the better for the world. Fail
ing such decision the Ottoman empire must
be divided up, and then?
So far Mr.. Lloyd George, but unless Mr..
Wilson is unsupported Mr.. Wilson is against
acceptance. Mr.. Wilson, indeed is in position
to estimate something which, perhaps, scarcely
comes into Mr.. Lloyd Georges purview and
that is the possible opposition in the United
States to such an arrangement. Certainly moth
ing that has been said of late in congress shows
wealth of affection for it. What. indeed, con-
gress is going to be forced presently to decide
is the great and broad question of the future
relationship and attitude of the new world to
the old. That really is the great issue as far as
the United States is concerned. What is to
be the destiny of the great republic? and what
are its obligations to mankind and to civiliza
ton? Mr.. Wilson apparently thinks that the
arshp and the submarine have drained the At
lantic and the Pacific and that the situation
which will confront his successors is very diff
ferent one from the one which confronted
George Washington. But that, as Mr.. Kipling
says is another story.
Meanwhile, what Of Paris? Paris, justly or
unjustly is beg inning to be received with shak
ings of the head whenever it is mentioned. The
glamour of the early days has passed away and
the man in the street listens to the remorseless
ticking of the clock impatenty. The rumor
factories working overtime, and they have
taken as their motto that simple couplet,
OBTAINING and defacing, till she left
Not even Lancelot brave, nor Galahad Clean
This would not so much matter if the dele
gates had given no cause for criticism, even
if they had not given much cause. Unfortu-
natey, Shantung is not matter of opinion,
it is moral failure, and now the world is afraid
of repetition of Shantung in Armenia. Fiume,
the Sarre valley, Danzig, all these may leave
room for differences OF opinion, but Shantung?