El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-20
Labor Troubles and UnWlingness Of Troops to Fight
COmpicate Dissolution Of Big Five by Attitude Of Italy
and Aloofness Of Japan; European Anarchy
Feared Unless Solution Is Found Soon


/ the capital city Of Budapest and
sliced vast quantities Of war mater
I ial and food, ali in direct defiance OF
! the great powers The subsequent
Withdrawal Of Rumania with soft
words viii not alter the fact that she
got what she wanted And similar
independence on a smaller scale has
been shown by every country in the
near east
The writ Of Paris no longer
runs outside Of Britain, France.
Belgium and Holland, Scandinavia
and western Germany. Broadly
speaking, the rest of Europe Is
either in a state Of complete anar-
chy or is acting as it chooses.
Even Italy. officially cIassed ax
one of the great powers, has
washed her rands of cooperation
with the allies in trying TO bring
about order, and the decision OF
the new premier Niftf TO with
draw Italian troops from all the
interaIiied activities WAS greeted
At home with enthusiasm
Accounts or new wars. revolutions,
plots and iurrlgues merely add 10 the
confusion and disgust OF most Amer
lean readers, who have neither time
nor inclination TO unravel so tangled
a skein. But our whole future is
wrapped up in this sad business. and
we cannot afford TO look on with the
same lack OF comprehension we did
IN 1914. IN this story I propose to
paint with broad strokes the general
European situation as IL is today
rather than supplement the endless
details Of particular rows and hor-
rors which the cables carry daily.
Two main perils confront Eu-
rope todays all others are second
AIRY One is the revolutionary
movement everywhere, fostercd
and encouraged by the success OF
IT, mam
holding out. The second. in my
opinion as serious. is the break
down Of the balance Of power.
What is the balance Of p0W5r2 After
the world dominion Of Rome was de-
strOyed by the barbarians. a period
Of anarchy supervened until after the
reign Of Charlemange a rough
equilibrium was brought about be
tween the nations. The theory Of
the balance Of power was nothing
new; two thousand years ago Poly
bus defined it thus Nor should so
great power be allowed TO anyone
as 10 make II Impossible for you az
forwards TO dispute with him on
equal terms concerning your mani
Test rights"
All Coalition Wars.
From Charlemauge onward this be-
zane more and more the policy Of the
Western world. The wars against I
Philip Of Spain. Louis the Fourteenth. +
Iapolean and in our time. William the Z
Second were all at bottom coalition +.
=ars based on the desire to restore !
the balance Of power. All nations, /
whatever their quarrels or conflicting /
interests OF old enemities, were at .
my time ready TO band together 10 4
light a country that seemed TO aim 4
.t power over all.
Is this history lesson. and why .
lraE PodvbIus and CharlemanEe into +
news story Because a little high
lrow" discussion of the balance Of
lower is essential TO an understand
ne Of the present situation in the
world. IL is TO the destruction Of the
ialance Of power that the present
0rmidable and alarming symptoms in
europe are mainly due
It is NOT pleasant TO say that our
ountry has failed in what she set
ut 10 do in this war. We beat Ger
Many and that II least was some
hing Germany tried to overturn the
alance Of power and rule the world
IS Rome once did, and thanks TO US
he failed. But our president de-
ounced the balance Of power as an
Id. outworn theory that led TO con-
inual war, and proposed TO substi-
ute for IL a league Of nations that