El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-21

absolve them from the blood tribute
Of the old militaristic system
! We at Paris are still under the
shadow Of the soldiers who won this
war. but il is a matter OF open Ques-
ton whether the plain people Of the
world would have accepted the solu-
tion which preserved so much OF what
+ existed before the deluge.
! In any event. Lloyd George who,
I beyond all question, is the cleverest
politician in the world. and whose
+ knowledge OF his own country polite
ially sur1asses a similar knowledge OF
amy other statesman, has concluded
that this disarmament is necessary
+ If order is to be preserved and Boil
7 shevism avoided. and his voice has
/ prevailed at Paris under circum-
stances which must remain remark
able
For the first time. he has ventured
D to speak with authority in the name OF
his country. and for the first time
EnEland has followed an original
policy in Paris rather than exercising
her influence in shaping the Amcrl-
can policies.
Two Aspects OF the Thing.
As have said. the whole thing has
two aspects-the domestic political /
necessities Of 1Ir. Lloyd George, and
the larger philosophic conception OF
many Englishmen- 1t was impossible I
to persuade the British public per-
scription which they reluctantly ac-
cepted after the war had continued
for many months. it was impossible
20 raise any professional armies by
the voluntary system which could face
the German armies II Germany re-
there was also the hope that II Ger
many now temporarily in chains I
should he compelled TO abandon the ]
institution Of conscriptiOn. she would I
not revert to It after she had regained /
her national health
All this leads back TO a single cen I
trail truth. All that we may do at Paris Z
20 many-justlT, in view OF her
great sins against her neiEhbors. !
nationally in view Of her ultimate ]
potential strenEth-au viii be Of lit I
tie avail il I'm the future 5000. 900 OF 4
Germans shall choose 10 revert TO 3
the policies Of aggression rather than
10 adopt the principles and ideals 4
which have become the basis Of west
ern civilization
building New Frontiers
To give France as the outpost Of
civilization security, we are building
new frontiers along the Rhine. To
ensure an opportunity for the de-
velopment OF the recently en-
franchiscd races in middle and eastern
Europe and in Asia Minor. we are con-
structinE a league Of nations which
is in the nature Of insurance. We have
taken Germany's ships and we can
look forward TO a decade and perhaps
quarter Of century in which our
insurance may hold good Yet more
and more the truth is becoming ap-
parent in Paris and elsewhere.
Ultimately the fate OF Germany and
the policies Of Germany viii be shaped
from within and not from without.
SO far, we have drawn a barbed wire
line about Germany and followed a
course. logical and natural in treat
ing all Germans alike, because all
Germans shared in responsibility for
recent events Yet nothing is more
certain and more obvious than the
fact that by this very course we have
contributed TO preserving and increas-
ing the essential unity Of Germany
For at least two centuries. the
policy Of France was TO preserve the
division Of Germany South Germany
was as frequently in alliance with the /
Bourbons Is with the Hapsburgs or
Hohenzollerns. and between north and
south Germany there were religious
hOsulities as well as traditional
enmitles- But in Paris we have chosen
TO regard Germany as a whole. and
we have driven all parts Of Germany
into unity which scarcely existed in
1919, or even at the moment OF the
armistice I'm 1913.
EurOpe's Greatest Single Nation.
II we are to continue this policy
we have to contemplate for all time
a united Germany which. unless Rus
STA shall achieve reintegration. will be
the greatest single nation in Europe.
II the greatest single nation in
Europe shall follow imperialistic and
militaristic ideals. we shall have 10
defend our liberties in the future as
in the past. The one hone that re-
mains is that Germany by force Of
circumstances may be persuaded 10
abandon the militaristic idea This (
is what IS back Of Lloyd Georges z
great experiment. aside from his own
political necessities at home: and In {
q sense 70 is the first reasoned ef- :
fort to deal with the German problem Z