The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-14
CDR. H. H. Powers, in Kansas City

! (Dr. H. II. Powers, in Kansas City
Starr
1t is signed today. We have the
treaty. but shall we have peace? All
signs point to the contrary. Not only
has the war never ceased, not even
for a day, since the signing of the
armistice, but new causes of war
are continually appearing. The great
chasms that divided Europe in 1914
have not closed and new ones are
appearing that crisis cross the Euro
pean continent in every direction
and seem to yawn deeper as the days
pass. Europe is crumbling and the
forces of disintegration seem def
nitely to have the upper hand.
Worst of ali, the cohesion which
was forced upon the allies seems to
have been lost. No bitterer denun-
Citations have at any time been ut
tered against Germany than are now
hurled against France by the Italian
press. Similar ,amepities, if slightly
less violent, are INDUCED in by the
press of each country toward the
others. The press of our own coun-
nishes the chief example of compare
tive moderation.
The Rift Between Glasses.
Finally, the rift has opened deep
between classes and interests within
each country and social conflicts
hitherto confined to internal ques-
lions, have now boldly invaded the
province of international affairs. 1t
is doubtful if any delegation at the
peace conference is now backed by
an even passably united people.
No man came out Of the war with
the more absolute backing of his
people than Clemenceau, the ac-
knowledge savior of France. Today
he stands almost isolated, eXecrated
by conservatives and radicals alike.
Northcliffe, that Warwick of the
press, is ostentatiously forging his
thunderbolts for Lloyd George, the
king of his earlier creation. And
everybody knows what has happened
to Wilson, however reluctant may be
the admission. We shall have treaties
and proclamations but we shall not
soon have peace.
1t will be said that it was ever
thus Yes and no. Doubtless the
verdict of war is never accepted with
universal reclamation. But war has
never before so profoundly disturbed
the world. Wars have hitherto been
local and the resulting demoraliza =
ton has affected but a minor fraction
of humanity.
Order Has Persisted.
Under these conditions the mere
inertia of the great human mass has
sufficed to give the forces of order
an easy victory over local discord
and disintegration. Today this great
stabilizing force of world inertia is
lacking. The whole world has
dragged anchor.
Before the war the migrating
forces were in the ascendant. For a
thousand years we had been slowly
bringing men together. The petty
duchies and principalities OF the
Middle Ages, though continuing their
shadowy existence, were losing their
mischievous independence and be-
coming merged into states. These
states in turn were learning to live
and let live, were acquiring the hablt
of cooperation. and by means OF IN
creasingly persistent alliances were
beginning to foreshadow still vaster
indignation.
This progressive indignation was
always irksome, for we do not like
TO surrender our peCuliarities and
adapt our ways to the ways of other
men, It involved harshness and CO.
ercon, for only so could mems re-
luctance be overcome. It's inevitable
accompaniment was protest and gen
eral restiveness. But for all that 1t