The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-11
PEACE THE PARAMOUNT NEED.
State Of the World Grows Steadily
Worse the Longer Peace Is Delayed.

Though the delegates must be weary,
we may hope there is no truth in the
rumor that the peace conference is to
take vacation through the month of
September. The business of making
peace has already been too long protract-
ed, and while it drags on the state of
the world steedily grows worse To
make peace is the first and essential
business of peace conference, and by
this the whole Of its program must be
Judged and tested. The Paris conference
is being criticized for attempting too
much, but perhaps its mistake was rath-
er in its failure to subordinate the rest
of its program to its fundamental task
of ending the war.
Its problem was wholly different from
that of the congress of Vienna, for that
did not meet till after the Napoleonic
war had been closed by the treaty of
Paris, which was signed in seven weeks
after the downfall Of the emperor. Pos
sible terms were given to France, which
was Immediately restored to the family
of nations and took an active part in the
work of the congress in reconstructing
the. map of Europe after the great up
heayal. The congress was slow and fee
bic in the execution of its program, but
this mattered comparatively little be.
cause peace conditions had in the main
been restored and the process of recon
structioh was automatically going on.
In the present case these conditions
have been reversed Instead of first max
ing peace and then setting about their
larger program with the cooperation Of
the defeated powers, the victors under
took TO dictate TO the vanquished not
merely peace but the entire new world
order, making peace wait upon the settle
ment of countless complicated and diff
cult matters. As to the wisdom OF this
initial decision there will probably al.
ways be controversy, but once taken it
obviously imposed upon the peace con
ference grave responsibility. As Presi-
dent Wilson says ia his message on the
high cost of living, Europe is ION the
operating table,; it has been kept there
three-quarters Of year and nobody
knows how much longer the operation
viii last. IL is becoming a question
whether the patient can survive.
In great part the trouble comes from
the fact that while these protracted de-
alterations have been carried on in Paris,
war conditions have continued TO make
havoc in Europe. Not long ago Gen Jan
SHUTS, who has taken place among the
foremost of living statesmen, declared
that the continuance of the blockade
since last November had done more dam
age than four years of war. To compre-
bend his meaning il is necessary to take
account of psychological as well as of
physical facts. With the armistice the
vast armed hordes began to dissolve and
fighting gave place TO enforced idleness in
which the revolutionary spirit found fer.
tile soil.
When the fighting ended on the west
ern front the world was already over
strained; for recuperation il was essen
tial to remove pressure before elasticity
was wholly destroyed, But the effect of
the blockade and of the maintenance
everywhere of hostile frontiers while the
peace conference debated through wary
months was to continue the pressure
which was sitting the economic life Of
Europe and making labor everywhere
restless and impatient. Not even vet
have these ruinous restrictions been re-
moved. Russia is cut off from trade and
In central Europe the high handed action
of Rumania has intensified instead of
relieving the blockade of Hungary which
had already done so much harm.
The time has come when il is neces
sary to think even more of the life of the
patient than the success of the operation.
which must not be protracted till the
gangrene of bolsheyism spoils all. The
conference is first of all peace confer
ence, and the most pressing business be-
fore it now is to restore peace conditions
and give the world a chance to recover
tranquility and confidence If this is not
speedily effected the Paris conference.
like the congress of Vienna is likely to
find itself confronted with new wars
"ls the time of return from Elba at
band 2" cynically asks a Paris journalist
apropos of the restoration of Hapsburp
rule in Hungary. That was the work of
the allies, but it may have strange con.
sequences unless the peace conference can
check entente Imperialism, squlch the
sinister intrigues which are undoing its
work, and quickly establish in Europe
conditions which will work for peace in
stead of for new cycle of wars
Springfield Republican