The Washington herald., 1919-09-21
Real Merits of the Treaty
Obscured by Politicians
Chaos in Europe and Another World War
Might Result from its Rejection by the
Senate, Says Balderston.

osition Is not that America so
loves her allies that she would like
to make them a handsome present.
Rather it is that Europe is on the
verge of bankruptcy, Uncle Sam is
Europe's creditor, and rather than
let his debtors go into liquidation
the rich Uncle may consider It
worth his while to pull the Eu-
ropeans through by helping out
now. All this not for the sake OF
philanthropy, but to insure that.
when Uncle Sam looks about the
world for customers in 1929, there
will exist customers able to pay.
Now this financial formula Is
fundamentally the same in it's con-
ception and implications as the
political formula involved in the
peace treaty.
The peace treaty says in effect:
THE European nations being un-
able because of financial weakness
and historical enmities to guarantee
peace among themselves, the United
States agrees to intervene with the
others when necessary to enforce
peace or attack an aggressor; and
the United States will not be the
judge when such an emergency has
arisen, but will obey the mandate of
the council OF the league of ma
tions."
There is hothing unselhsh, nothing
noble or magnificent, in our saying
this-if we do say it. There, too. 1
think the President befogs the point
with rhetoric. If America allows her
self to be made umpire In European
disputes, agrees to fight aggressors
and give up her historic and agree
g,h1 sf ~ IL, a
istiC motives.
II will be for the same reason that
American finanCiers might be willing,
in some form or another, to shoulder
part of Europe's debts. Americas in
terests are for world peace, just as
Wall Streets interest is in a solvent
Europe. Wall Street extends long
and easy credits, so Europe will not
90 bankrupt. And exactly so under
the peace treaty we agree to enter
EurOpe's wars on the side of the un-
offending party, in order to prevent
wars or stifle them at their inception.
Our power and our disinterestednes,.
we were assured in Paris, may be able
to keep the peace; otherwise the
newly BalkaniZed Europe is in for a
cycle Of wars that will depopulate the
Continent.
Americans who are not interested
when told that the Continent may be
depOpulated by new wars should con-
slider further that, If the Continent is
depopulated, American trade in a gen.
GRAFTON or so may be all dressed up
and have no. place to 20. The economic
strangulation of our own country
would not take place while any OF
Us were living. but it would be none
a ha
and Asia to go to pieces.
l purposely refrain from going into
details OF the treaty here. There Is
plenty of that being done in Wash
'ington and else where. The point made
here is that the treaty does. in the
eyes Of our ASSOCIATES, bind US to
fight in wars not OF our choosing. and
does restrict our liberty of action {;
rot all the deft phrasinG OF the Presi-
: dent can conceal the fact. And the
treaty does so bind US. not becuase Of
British plot" but because our
delegates in Paris believed without
7 the promise Of armed American CO.
Iioperation the peace OF the world
could not be kept, and saw that un-
der conditions OF modern warfare
peace is necessary il civilization is to
survive. Not all the oratory in the
NSenate can conceal these au-impor-
, tant motives that led the President TO
ask the American people TO make this
great sacrifice.
Thus if my analysis is correct the
Senate opposition refuses to admit or
consider the vital and genuine mo-
tives that led the President to assent
/ to this treaty. while on the other
sand the President fears to he frank
enough to admit to the people what a