The Washington times., 1919-07-13

down, ii remains to execute them.
And by that l mean, not so much
retributive actions against ma
tions which have recently run
amuck in the world, but rather
the cleaning and healing process
es that shall really make good
our hopes and aspirations.
Situation Is Serious.
Undoubtedly there is a great
danger in the world today. Many
peoples have thought that the
mere signing of the treaty with
Germany marks the ending of the
world peril. Public opinion
seems to have treathed a sigh OF
relief and lapsed back into apa-
thy. Concentration Of thought on
world problems is weakening
now when it is most essential,
and the forces of disintegration
and reaction have been given a
freedom of action far greater
than when the world was on its
guard.
THE situation today is serious.
Western civilization is still dazed
by the shock of four and a half
years of destruction.
Industry and commerce are
not yet restored. All of Europe
is impoverished. Some parts of
1t are starving. Its whole polit-
ical fiber has been shot through.
Russia and Hungary and Turkey
as empires have ceased to be;
Poland and Czecho- Slovakia are
struggling to their. feet as mem
- he 70 IF
that complicated machinery of
society which took decades TO
elaborate and a world war to tear
down cannot be replaced over
night by a wholly different ma
chinery.
Many Problems Unsettled.
MANY problems remain unset
tied Territorial adjustments to
secure the rights OF peoples TO
live under their own flag. as far
as possible in the tangled skein
of European nationalities, may be
made effective. Attainment of
the Polish frontiers on all sides,
particularly in East Prussia, is
very difficult. The Teschen coal
fields are still a source of conten-
ton between Poland and CzeCho-
Slovakia; Hungary is interrupt
ing trade of all central Europe;
the Adriatic problem is still un-
solved. as we'll as. the fate OF
these large territories formerly
under the Turk, including espe-
cially Asia Minor and Armenia.
"World craftsmanship will be
sorely tried in the next few years.
Two things are essential. first an
alert. intelligent. interested pub
lie opinion. and. second, co-Opera-
ton Of the nations. Tine former
is needed both as a check on any
sinister purposes that may crop
up and as the great support for
common action.
THE second is essential unless
the nations are to return to A
selfish PARTICULARS which can
only breed the most dangerous
disputes. The peace conference
has been hiStOry's greatest in
stance of a unified world states
manship. directing the moral and
material resources of the worlds
family of nations; to allow the
spirit behind il to disintegrate at
this moment of emergence when
united action is imperative.
would be fatal TO all the hopes
of permanent peace with which
we entered the war. If it is true
that one nation can destroy the
equilibrium of all. il is all the
more true that each nation is
bound by its own law Of self-pre-
servation to cooperate with the
others to check troubles before
they get their Roadway.
$50 I leave for home tonight,
pleased but not ovcr-complacent
with the outcome OF the past six
months, and hopeful but not in
the least unmindful of the prob
lens Of the next few wears"