The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-14

4 luBdl IOlI1S WIZ nNPN III
To democracies thus minded came
| the appeal of the allied cause. The
rallyipg cry chosen was necessarily
| one suited to this mood, The con-
| crete need was expanded into a
doubtful generalization. Belgium had
to be rescued from German domina-
| ton. The existence of the British
empire depended on it. But to such
| an appeal the British democracy
would have been incredulous, apa-
thetic. Its vision was dim and its
interest in other things. It was necess
airy to appeal, not to its intelligence
but to it's feeling, if the reaction was
to be favorable and prompt
| SO the appeal was couched in other
| terms. Britain was fighting for the
| independence of little nations, for the
right of every nation, small or great
| to live it's own life in its own way
! 1t was the popular note. and the
British democracy, the democracies
| Of all the western world responded
to the appeal.
1t is impossible to tell how sincere
| the British statesmen were in thus
: stating their position. The art of
| popular appeal is so large a part of
! the statesmans art In a democracy
| that the necessary adaptions become
| automatic, almost unconscious. The
master is inevitably mastered by his
act and persuades himself in per-
! suading others. Charges of insin-
| cerity whatever their basis in OBJ
| jective fact, are (morally) for the
| most part, beside the mark.
The Self Determination Craze.
| Rut the doctrine of independence for
i little nations was not to be preached
! with impunity in an age like this.
/ Once started il was like fire in dry
/ stubble. France took up the cry Will
! son raised II TO the dignity of
! point" Trotzky made ii Jehad.
| Emerging from the conclave of the ma
/ tions with talismanic virtues and felic-
+ itously rebatized as "self-determina-
! tion +" the craze swept on its world
devastating way.
! And tbn result is not n cause but q
| craze, a crusade. a frenzied revolt
| against discipline, against bonds of
! any sort. IT Is not a question OF
! abuses to be corrected, of opportunities
| 10 he won or substantial benefits to be
! secured. Dangers to be encountered
and costs 70 be incurred are no deter
ront Such base unitarian considera-
tions are scorned We are dealing
/ with ahsolutes.
It is independence, not for utility's
| sake NOT for hunna ,li+v's sake hut for
/ its own sake We are beyond the pale
, of argument. beyond the possibility of
! compromise or adjustment. The CEN
| trifupaI forces have gotten ont of
| hand.
| 1t is not to be supposed for a mo-
ment that this cult of the absoIutes is
| consistent or will have the field TO IT.
| self Forces that have determined the
(
thus lightly ahdicate their sway. Men
| who plav at nation building arc stiIl
! conscious in n vague wav that there
! are such things s strategic frontiers,
economic resources. and commercial ia
! ciIitics inon which e,,ccesefrI nation-
! hood depends quite as much as ,lpon
| personal preference and nrciudice
some ~ the Ircor,IstencIe.
IIonra TreIord ,,ants 90 doto,,.,,,,,
| for herseIf-and for ,inu,iIling ITista,,
| Too Roben,ia +ba+ hos ,,,,oi,5t,ad
acoire+ tbe ini,,,; ia mas , lnHeis 'ltu
crr,,,or, t rr,lo '',uu , y. sueJeEtloh TO
49, H,u' " nv" t"'s on tne coal
S4pply OF Eienna unless the subsection
i. ss, w,.n miam p'S.rists 10 hcf rue
III assured. Io'and insists upon her
c c!Sm[ 70 forr iu,g German Bahtzlg he-
tIuSe' lorSooth' she ruled 1t in the
6ooa oth Gays when differentiation
was unheard or, and besides she needs
| IL anyway. Eumania long the passion
ave protaE0nlst OF elf-deteSminat ton
for Rumanans-aslts that the River
Thesis be made her western boundary
for strategic reasons; thus making ner
the ruler of about a third of the nun
Earian race. Italy, the home of ire
dentlsn1, asks for a quarter Of MIL
lion German subjects in the north that
her frontier may he the mountain
crests. and claims tho almost eo,,dt,,
Slavic eastern coast of thn Adr,o tic ~
the undoing Of her now roi,hbar III a., ~
the interest IF snIf-dofa6Sso D ,o,, -
edly the new wine 10 in ~ hottio.
What wonder r. tba bot+ia, Tiu JULIUS
And tho ras,,I, 4" .L oUt 81.
Rhine +bro,cb 90 a. t'lat from the
in that tayn6nra ~ ne lar tdsteTn ocean,
hoo,, tbo bn,,l None Which mas ever
tb ee i ig td nome OF stable government
nronertv tbat car va t rantes VI me or
0f tbts ordar az nc ~ uSltu oVernIsnt'
UorId boif ba, n Ttrucins part OF the
baif Of H. ras+ Siippeu mo ctlaos ana
stabiIi1ino fnrons sesia'S Slpplne; Sucn
bnt thn ronidI ere uIsogrliIo,e are
~ o c,,I pluds iesS'h'hs momentum OF
~. Inton...,
AID tbo "a y 49," ooeS ",
stjIl I,,,a,,,iIs !, 10 no yeI Where order
cba unnoo Irnio,5 'ns opJett Vi pitttT
rntn IL ,,,biab ~ aa . the hIltIsh
tbon am, ro,,ra,o, ,St ar more
,rbiIo dnclo ri,i,, In. Ine fIiplf los
heor one ~ t,,at fLlieLIc1ih rue mas
ond liha,oIjt,, ui ntiI, alieIeu penelcehce
r,o,,,o,,, 30 hoi1 - nsyPt, t!ai III me
under naive rnia r. ~" 1oltth %
|