The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-17
Treaty Not Settlement.

The treaty of peace, then-and this
Is the capital points not q settle
ment. The only things that are settled
actually are the transfer of the Ger
mar colonies and Of Aisace Lorraine on
the territorial side. All else. economic,
political and territorial, is conditioned
upon the operation Of commissions of
the league OF nations, and upon the
continuing solidarity of Great Britain,
France and tho United States. without
this guarantee, each of the questions
will be re-opened within n brief period
OF time, since to reopen them will be
to serve the interests Of more thar co.
900, 900 Of people, The idea that this is
a peace founded on justice Is correct,
but the idea that this Justice, which
spells approximate ruin to O great
power, will be accepted by It willingly
now or in the future Is totally false.
There was only one way to make a
peace OF good will. and that was TO re-
frain from imposing upon Germany any
left Germany intact and solvent, she
might have accepted u military de-
clsion. She might have consented TO
be q partner In the league of nations,
but to do this would be to commit u
crime against each Of the nations which
we're forced to take up arms to defend
their existence against German agrees
sion. We have put the murderer under
the restraint OF authority, We have
compelled that murderer by a sentence
OF our court to make such restoration
as Is possible for his crimes Of murder
and destruction, but 1t would be futile
and dangerous to believe that the ZEN
tence which we have imposed will be
accepted beyond the limits Of our
power,
In sum. 1t seems to me that It ought
to DO realized In America that those
peace terms which have now been
spread before the whole world pro-
vide at best only the basis OF settle
ment, not settlement itself, and this
into existence and commissioned to
handle a SCORE Of continuing differences
Is only the basis OF peace between the
nations which do not differ by its de-
cisions. II the United States does not
associate itself with France and Great
Britain in a guarantee TO support
treaty Of peace, the whole treaty will
fall Of its own weight at III distant
date. But II we do associate ourselves
and our allies for the future, the ALI
Rnce OF these three nations becomes o
real force In the league of nations.
The league of nations Ia nothing ex-
cept as 1t Is guaranteed by the ALI
ance between the three great western
nations, and the settlement which is
the treaty Of Versailles will not endure
beyond that time, II Is true that we
have taken the German fleet and or
dered the disarmament OF Germany.
Since we have the fleet, that issue Is
settled, but how can we enforce Ger
man disarmament except by allied
armament? We have fixed the num-
bers OF the German army OF the future,
but Napoleon, at the height of his
power, could not enforce "a similar reg
ulation, n we shall have to rely
upon the French army on the Rhine
to perform this task now.
Task Impossible.
In the nature Of things, given the
character OF this war, no Immediate
settlement ID possible. | do not mean
to suggest that the wisest diplomacy
In the world, the most f~arsighted
craftsmanship, could have achieved i'm
mediate liquidation Of this war, The
very vastness Of German destruction
insured the prolongation yer many
years Of the task OF reparation. What
the treaty of Versailles actually means
H., then, plain. SO far as Germany is
concerned, 1t Is we'll to remember that
peace with Germany Is only the be-
ginning OF the liquidation OF this war.
Great Britain, the United States and
France, the great nations most con-
cerned in the war with Germany, have
formulated q basis of settlement. They
have directed Germany to restore her
stolen territories. to pay for her de-
Btructions and TO surrender her
weapons OF offerfse. They have. in
addition. subscribed 10 q formal dec