The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-06-27
Gernany's Future

venting our starting something new.
For only political child will fail to
see that the League of Nations is not
designed to protect the world from
American, French and Italian aggres-
sion, but merely from German agrees
sion.
For instance, will the United States,
supposing the life and prosperity of
North American citizens in some
Spanish-American country, or the in
terests of great business corporations
in that country are imperiled by an
archy or revolution, renounce its right
in case of necessity to remedy matters
with its army or feet, out of mere
/ respect for the League of Nations?
Will England, supposing British in
terests are imperiled in Persia, At
ghanistan, or Tibet, refrain from in
tervening and address itself to the
League of Nations?
Will it call in its international arbi-
tration court to settle a revolt in
Egypt, India or South Africa?
But are not Indians, Arabians, Ka-
frs and Beers human beings, and by
the law of nations, with equal rights?
Are the English and Americans pro-
posing to do away with their navies
and disarm? They have nothing of
the sort in mind. They regard them
selves rather as the strong arms of
tie League of Nations, the World En-
tente, called by destiny to maintain
the law and order of the world, the eff
fective guarantors, by their own
strength, of the peace organization.
The world war has resulted just as
| forsaw and predicted, in hege-
mony, world domination of the An
glo-Saxons. We should recognize this
fact, even though at present it is in
the guise of League of Nations. It's
shepherds song is Rule Britannia.
If we do not submit to the decisions
of its Areopagus, then we have new
world war.
All the rest is mere idealistic twad-
die. Nevertheless, England needs us
as a counterpoise to France and Rus
STA.
1t needs US as a customer for its
merchandise.
Before the war we were the best pa
irons that British business had. The
principal cause of mutual distrust was
our navy, which drove England into
the arms of France and Russia.
That is done away with. Our colo
MES are lost. Our foreign trade is an
initiated.
If we were on the point of full
agreement with England before the
war, in spite of our fleet, our colonies
and our commercial rivalries, what
reason have we to suppose now that
our fleet, our colonies and our COM
mercial rivalries have practically dis
appeared forever, the hatred of the
people across the channel will survive
indefinitely?
We must be aware, however, that it
will take some time before the old at
titude of mind toward us revives. The
re-establishment of good relations
will be assisted by the fact that fur
ther threat on our part against France
or Belgium is exceedingly improbable
in the future, and England, conse-
quently, has nothing more to fear at
this sensitive point. But an all-pow-
erful Spain, France and Russia
would be as uncomfortable to England
as German mastery on the Continent
This principle has guided all England's
traditional colonial policies, its wal
against Philip II, Louis XVI and XIV
the French Republic, Napoleon l and
Nicholas /.
The other political factor which we
must take into account is, as | have
already said, Russia, assuming that il
reassembles itself into a Federal gov.
eminent.
| Bismarck's principle, Back to back
I with Russia was very apt. Unfor.
,tunately, he disregarded it from the
time of the Berlin Congress. This err
ror of policy persisted and developed
rs time went on.
In 1890, he was swinging back to-
ward Russia. He never took the Tri-
pie Alliance as seriously as some. II
was rather one of his caprices-an
evil caprice of a giant. Bismarck
wanted to checkmate Gortshokof more
than he did Russia. Our estrangement
from Russia was the cardinal failure
Of his era.
During the period Immediately pre-.
ceding the war-that epoch of diplo.
matte dreamiessness-this error, rath.
er than our neglect of England, pre-.
cipitated the world catastrophe. A re.
turn to Russia is, therefore, one OF
the main tasks of our future foreign
policy. This should be a cordial un.
derstanding rather than an alliance.
Every alliance, even a defensive one
assumes some common enemy. 1t is
directed against third Power. Thi;
attitude of opposition invariably ex'
tends to things which were not orig.
inally the purpose of the alliance.
| Any alliance with Russia would
mean an agreement directed against
England. 1t is widely entertained
error that cordial relations with Rus.
would necessarily mean hostility tt
England and that we are compelled ir
a way to choose between Russia ano
England.
Quite the reverse.
An agreement between England
and Germany will be facilitated BY
good relations with Russia, if we try
to disburden Russia of its difficulties
instead of endeavoring to mislead, a.
we did before, and if that country ha.
a free hand in Asia and the Orient.
1t is true that the recent friendship
between Russia and England was oul
work. It was the result of common
irritation of those countries with us