New-York tribune., 1919-04-20
The Great Heritage

dispatches whoae faceta shine hriphtly.
The capitalization "a nothing less than u
report, rising almost to the authority of
a statement, that The conference, after
all, is to forge an alliance pledging this
counhy's military aid to Franco. should
she be again attacked.
In his Manchester speech the prcsi-
dent intimatcd that if Clemcnccau in
sisted on talking about an alliance the
American delegation would pack up and
go home The French Premier had
dared to say that he could sec no league
of peace if The union of the nations that
Won the war were not perpclpated. The
President replied with an emphatic neg
atve, Al-of-us (althoupb he carefully
rofranod from specifying what all-of-ua
ncludedD should Join IN the great col-
cert, if there was to be one. The re
bulrcd Clemcnceau, naturally not wish.
ing TO irritato powerful friend, sub
sided.
But his idea has continued to argue for
itself Those who look at the peace
problem with Intelligent idealism seem
more and more to see that only through
a coalition of the peace makers can peace
be preserved Already with respect to
the collection of the reparation bill there
is an article in the tentative peace treaty
providing for continuance of some sort
OF union for thirty years
Ii there is to be an alliance, coalition,
entente (name it what you please), it
VIII naturally express itself in an agree
ment TO protect France The frontier
OF France is the frontier of sane and
SAT- civilization. L is thus oul frontier.
BEYOND are peoples not fully to be
trusted. The head of the Teuton is
good, bat his heart is bad The heart of
the slav is good, but his head is bad,
We believe that ultimately the new
nations and thc new Russia viii become
seasoned in the responsibilities OF self
rule aud we pray that Germany VIII re-
cover her soul hat for these things time
IS neceasary and NOW, as in Komao days,
the Nhtoe s the horder There the
leRious must lac poated Great BRITAIN
's protected hy hes doc' ead Amerioe Ivy
the broad oeoan, but should 'atn civil.
ration SO down ON the European cout,.
mont tbcsc BARRIERS would I've passed
May the minds of our people and our
statesman be opened TO look beyond the
immediate future and to see the coming
centuries Overwhelming Rhine
barbarism swept down ON civilization
and destroyed it, May we guard against
recurrence of the tragedy.
Thought naturally turns to the first
treaty this country ever made our FIRST
and only alliance, made with France.
France then was strong and we were
weak France was then dcspotc mon
arehy, and here was to set up the
first large scale republic. 1t was not
so much coalition between governments
as q union between peoples. The French
people, functioaine through institutions
then tottering to their fail, found wavs
10 bend their monarch to their will
against his dynastc interest.
And with large and ample spirit the
French people acted France went to
war, as the treaty declared, "to maintain
effectively the liberty and sovereignty
and independence Of the United States
absolute and unlimited" France asked
nothing for the succor she gave, saving
there should ibe no after claim of COM
pensation on one side or the other, what
ever may be the result Of the war"
We are now strong and France is less
strong, although her spirit is the same
as on that day when the transGgurcd
Washington was raised to great joy
amid the gloom Of Valley Forge when
the news came. IL is saId republics are
ungratcful II is worth while to demon
strate the saying Is not always true.
Our people have little liking for ali-
ances. But We set aside the prejudice
=.