El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-15

properly Interpreted. clearly discloseS
the truth. when Mr.. Wilson under
took to call upon the Birth for per-
Torrance under the "a points. they
I politely. but firmly indicated TO him
l that the one point which transfiXed
their own most precious interest,
Z In the formation OF a league Of
( nations. with the limitation Of sea
| power out OF the question. they were
I prepared 10 give Mr.. Wilson every
! assistance even against their recent
/ allies, but British support Of the
] larger scheme was contingent upon
the sacrifice OF that point which con-
] cerned the freedom OF the seas
Secret Treaties Conflict.
] Moreover. Mr.. Wilson was presently
TO discover that the British in the
I course OF the war and in association
with the French had made a series Of
] secret treaties, each OF them in direct
] conflict with one or more OF the Il
/ points. and each Of them representing
a price assured TO another nation as
a reward for entering or remaining in
] the conflict And Mr.. Wilson was also
| destined TO discover that while the
British representatives at Paris were
] prepared TO give him every possible
} moral assistance in forcing the bene-
I ficiaries Of these secret treaties to
( abandon them. Great Britain still felt
I herself bound 70 stand by them II he
was unsuccessful in persuading their
y
When # came TO France. Mr.. Wilson
] discovered that the French. from the
: prime minister 10 the present. were
I agreed that Germany should be COM
/ PEELED TO pay the last dollar that could
I he extra cted from her 70 reimburse
Z France for wanton injuries which
3 we're in the aggregate beyond the
/ capacity OF Germany TO repair. and
I that, in addition. as a consequence Of
3 two unnrovoked assaults and inva-
O n
l France insisted upon her right 70 take
! precautions against a third invasion.
! provocations which involved ter
ritorial arrangements contrary TO the
[ Il points.
France Sees Invasion Menace.
| Americans associated with Mr.. VII
! son at Paris promptly denounced these
| British and French positions as rev
| Citations OF an imperialistic purpose
This was crotesuuelv untrue. At bot
I tom both represented precisely as
Z Unsuitable a concern for national
security as the United States presently
disclosed IN its insisteuce that the
Monroe doctrine should be excluded
from the uurview OF the league Of
nations Without unrestricted sea
nower. II her fleet were under the
direction Of an international body.
Britain felt herself in instant
jeopardy. without the guarantee Of.
the Rhine. France saw herself open
to fnva sion while without German
reparation she saw herself ruined.
Again the IA points themselves IN
cluded an inevitable RECOGNITION OF
Polish fndenendence and the liberation
Of the millions Of Poles living in the
territories taken from the ancient
Polish kingdom by Frederick the
Great and his successors. but this
meant 70 cut Prussia in half and 10
isolate east Prussia from the balance
Of the German empire. n take from
Germany territory which had been for
a century and a half Teutonic. how
ever. unrighteous the acquisition and
possession uiEht he.
Mr.. Wilson. then, early in the
peace conference. faced n hopeless
dilemma. He had either to sur
render. 50 far rs the IL points
were concerned, in the case OF
Britain In the matter Of sea power,
in the case Of France in the mat
ter OF security and indemnity, or
break with the French and British
with the absolute certainty that
on these issues the British and
French people would support their
governments.
But if he should yield 10 the British
and the French. both Of whom were
united in the matter OF separations,
and if he should. in addition fulfill
his pledge in the matter OF the Poles,
then no peace Of understanding with
Germany was even conceivable De-
prived Of 10000 square miles of her
richest territory. faced with the most
colossal indemnity in all history. her
eastern frontiers so mutilated that an
enemy boundary was pushed within
100 miles Of Berlin and barrier inter-
posed between east Prussia and the
rest Of Germany. there was not the
smallest possibility that Germany
would accept this peace in any other
spirit than that Of conquered nation !
that momentarily bows 20 the ire
sistiable power OF the victor
American purpose while controlling
the Paris conference. by reason Of /
material factors. frequently confused
with moral force. thus broke down /,
at very early stage in the peace !
negotiations. In those circumstances.
vital TO their eZistance. the British /
and the French representative re- |
fused TO accept the Il points More
over. they Jointly proclaimed a policy !
the Justice Of which was patent. with !
respect OF Germany, which made the /
llusory. The compromise which COW
cred this crisis changed nothing. An /
agreement 10 waive the issue OF the /
freedom Of the seas, 10 consent to an ]
alliance with France as a substitute
for the Rhine barrier, and to the 1
recognition OF French claims OF in
IDENTITIES. including the Saar basin !
circumstances. while they preserved I
the name OF the league OF nations and /
its existence on paper. were ultimate 4
and France had themselves refused TO /
adopt the principles underlying the
league. while the compromises insured 4
German hostility and made certain !
German effort TO escape by war when /
ever the opportunity came.
Italy and Japan Reject Policy.
Following upon the French and 4
British examples came the Italian and /
japanese episodes. Italy positively de- /
clined to permit the "A points 10 be
applied against her in the Adraitic. l
pointing TO her treaty with Great /
Britain and France and calling upon /
her British and French allies TO carry /
out their promises. Japan In shan /
tung made similar demands with a |
similar appeal to the same allies and |
in both cases France and Great |
Britain signified their intention to /
stand by their written pledge. how /
ever. repugnant It might be TO them /
Here again was irrefutable proof that /
two more great powers had accepted /
only with fatal reservations and /
limitations the American policy in I
the matter Of peace and world re- |
organization.
What the great powers had done
the smaller powers now proceeded to |
initiate The Serbs went into Albania. |
the Rumanians into Hungary: the !
Greeks gave unmisfa kable evidence Of !
an unwillingness to surrender age
long claims in Thrace at American /
hequest- Rumania went TO Budapest !