Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-09
AMERICA IGNORANT
OF REAL QUESTION
Peace Problems Are Not Known
by Average Citizen of
This Country.
MANY HATREDS STORED AWAY
Far Eastern Phase Intimately
Related to Future of
United States.
MANY HATREDs STORED AWAY
ny ROBERT wELLEs nrrcurE,

ny ROBERT wELLEs RITCrIE.
PARIS. Feb. S.-'.My son" one OF
the American Peace Commissioners ad :
dressed me to-day, thereby nattering
me beyond measure. do you suppose
the folks at home reaiizc-reaily begin
10 realize-what Il large proposition
20 they understand that all the world
from Patagonia to Lebanon Is demand :
ihS hearing at this gathering of the
consider questions that people at home
know nothing about"
had TO agree with the respected
peace plenipotentia-y that beyond
question our people ct home have no,
yet begun to get the full realization
OF how deeply their country is and is
20 be involved in world affairs. ! took
i, for granted that the average news
paper reader back in the states was
in the same state as ] am at the pres
magnitude of these things which are
about TO be threshed out in Paris So
had to answer that / thought the
average citizen Of Iowa or Kansas or
Massachusetts assurely did not realize
what the bounds OF the peace confer
ence are TO be.
AMERICANS ARE NOT
SO GREATLY INTERPRETED
You know as we'll as | do that we
folks Of the states are an insuiar PEG,
pie. and that before the war started
the small paragraphs appearing IN our
pean and Asiaiic politics went righ,
over our heads We had no intercs;
in the Young Turks, except in so far
ahead: we knew AS much about the
Albanian problem as We did or the
fourth dimension. and when some pac-
as Sa %l1 p.ns Of nuMofGo thsl
was his ,itle-we remembered that
Swat was some place with funny
AND Wo,s Let M MsS al tnat Reader and
your neighbor. Mr.. Pro Bono Publico.
you and and all Of us are not up
on the dope" the vulgar, persons
in the old, Wild days, in this business
OF the making OF a world peace And
these paragraphs are TO warn you thas
very soon you are TO read a great deal
of telegram news that will be inner
emily interesting If you only put your
self in the position Of understanding
what it means.
II HATRED OF FORTY YEARS
MUST III; ..w&SNED OUT
Bear THIS fact in mind: whatever
part the American expeditionary force
played in the last year of the wor1c
war-and everybody over here con
cedes il was = glorious part-the tina
settlement OF the great quarrel which
they alone brought about involves Is
sues you and never hemrd OF before
1917 Remember that all OF the old
grudses and all OF the carefully pre-
served hatreds of peoples against peo-
pies which have been nursed along for
the past forty years and more are go
ing 10 come out in the wash" as We
say back home, during the next three
or four months. And because America
fought in this war American represen-
tatives at the great council! table or
peace will find themselves called upon
10 decide where they stand OH this and
that bitter issue, which il as far be
yond American politics as the planet
Jupiter.
For example the allies have PLEDGE
themselves TO give liberty TO a Polish
state. and the component parts of that
state will be German, Austrian and
with a Polish ideal for the rc-estab
lishment of liberty after $50 years
we've had the idea that the Polish peo-
pie have produced excellent composers,
and therefore il would De. nice TO give
them liberty.
MANY FACTORS MAKE
PROBLEM MOST DIFFICULT
But when YOU read in the ensuing
weeks that there are two or three
Polish parties-one headed by our pet
Paderewski. the DiapiSt-and that each
party has Il different idea about the
formation Of the Kingdom or republic
of Poland, do not pass up the news
as unimportant, but try TO throw your
self into the atmosphere OF Polish
affairs and understand the groupings
and strivings OF an ensalred people
for enfranchiSemcnt.
Again, talk the Balkan question. You
| and l have been accus iomed in the
past to group all peoples from the Bal
| kanS as 'Hunkies" and think no more
| ing of the world that is to ensuc
remember tina, because of the stand our
! President has taken on the question
| Of the self differentiation of small peo-
| pies our interest in the destinies OF
Serbia. of Bulgaria-even though lately
an enemy-and Albania should he no
less than that in the freedom OF the
| seas and the court Of nations Wen
tected Greece and guaranteed Jewish
Republic of Judea, perhaps, so why
no; know our neighbors?
FAR EASTERN PROBLEM
And then there's tie ''ar Eastern
| question, which touches us Intimately
| Before the peace council has concluded
| its labors some time in the spring a
| game OF, the freedom of the Pacific and
| the equality of people OF yellow Skin
| with people of white skin. We in the
| States and the people Of British Column
! bia. Australia and New Zealand are go
| ing to have more than a passing inter
| est in the decision reached on this is
| sue.
| Siam, China and Japan--thc three
| Oriental Powers which went into this
world war-has each it's own word &c
| put forward for the adjudication of the
| peace conference. MAYBE ,lii y inter
/ csts will not weigh very hcav;ly-anC
| this means no disrespect TO the SOW
! ereign kingdom Of the White Elephant
! but what Japan and China ask\ and
what each gets is going to be of tire
| mendous Importance to the United
| States
Taking the scattering returns in Il
/ lump, there will be stories about the
| new Kingdom OF Arabia. about Syria
! Bagdad, the Thurman Coast of Russia
| the islands Of the South Seas, Bolshc
! wiki In Siberia and Courland and Ii
vonia. Iceland. Kaio-Chou. Dalma Tia
| and Santo Domingo.
| In all seriousness, may one CROPPING
| in the darkness and believing he /.
slowly coming toward the Eight recon
mend to every American reader OF the
news that through the public librSrie.
and clubs and reading circles--what
ever may be his source OF information
| he put himself in intelligent toucl
with the worlds greatest event owe,
here?
! Landlords liar Children.
| LONDON, Feb. S.--Popular indigna-
!