New-York tribune., 1919-04-15
Fomenting Discord

Five months ago happy people, In
delirium of Joy, were celebrating the
return of peace. The Incompatible
bravery of the soldiers of civilization,
supported by the firm resolution Of civil
ian population, had won victory for
right The future was bright.
Now anxiety is in countless hearts.
.Uneasiness and apprehension are abroad
and men fear new commotion. lnterna-
tional conditions are not good, and the
domestic conditions in many lands are
bad.
The cause of this change is no mys-
tery. Discord reigns where harmony
. prevailed. Malevolent forces have dis
titled subtle poisons. The nations which
won the war by acting together have
{ been artfully pushed apart.
The battle Of the Marne showed the
German leaders that their chance of
clear-cut victory was slight. Germany's
chief hope thereafter lay in the political
field. Could she break up the coalition
which had her in its grip and which
some day would succeed in mobilizing
its superior power? She could and did.
Russia was detached from an alliance
which in the first instance had been in
her defence and that Of her Slavic kins-
men Of Serbia The Gar was surround
ed by men corrupted by Germany. And
when in final spasm for saving of Rus
sia's honor the Gar was dethroned, Ger
man money fomented a counter revolu-
ton in the German interest. Bolshevism
came, and its first act was a separate
peace in violation of Russias pledge and
in betrayal of the general interest of the
world.
Russia's detection was offset by the
entry of the United States, and after
few frenzied months Germany was
beaten. Then Germany and her allies,
including Bolshevist Russia in this un-
. dertaking, went to work to divide the
Allies at the peace table. Latent jeal-
ousies and suspicious have been famed.
The insidious propaganda has never
. tagged. The livery Of heaven has been
=. worn to conceal hellish purpose. The
business has gone on and is still going
. on wherever floats a flag Of the Allies.
; The consequences are too grave to
. waste time in determining what nations
: or what men are chiefly to blame The
: supreme question is whether from this
. time forth a common front can be re-
!. stored. If it is not, if halt is not
called, the so-called peace will be of little
il any value.
The worst disservice Frenchman can
do to France is to point the finger Of
doubt at America, and the worst disser-
vice an American can do to America is
TO point finger of doubt at France.
So as to Britons, Italians and the rest.
NO nation is so superior in it's idealism
as to warrant reproach of another for
failure to measure up. What must an
Italian think who sees America strongly
demanding recognition of it's Monroe
Doctrine while opposing Italy's Adriatic
Doctrine? What must go through the
mind of polite Japanese as he behoIds
great anxiety for economic equality but
little for race equality? It behooves no
delegation at Paris to vaunt it's snecial
virtue.
Suppress the trouble breeders within
our own gates. They have been per-
mitted to pursue their malefcent activl-
ties long enough. 1t is of no consequence
what their motives may be. The effect
OF their labors is what counts.
AN end was brought to a bad military
situation last spring by unity of militarv
command, and diplomatic unity can be
, achieved only by applying the same prin-
eipie This cannot be applied unless
there is a willingness to sink differences
and TO support our friends.