Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-23


What is more they are already al
the same disadvantage in the alb.
cence Of a league; for the French
and Italian jingoes are masters oil
the situation, and are making nc
secret of their determination to an
mex parts of the Rhineland and oil
the Austrian Tyrol Ito say nothing
OF Jungo-S lavia), without regard t.
the Irredentist movements which
must follow such annexations.
The British and American jingoes
may have no objection to these an
nexations as such, but they will OBJ
ject very strongly to feeling COM
PEELED to support them whether they
object or not and receiving no quid-
pro-quo for their submission to the
superior self-assertiveGess of the
Latin diplomatists. They will call
in Germany sooner or later to coun-
ter-balance the south.
Admission May Be Delayed.
Thus Germany is sure of its-ad.
mission. But it may be delayed, not
on the ground that it is permanent
" ineligible, but on the ground that
it has no settled government.
AS we have seen, even Tie exist
ence of a settled government would
not make it eligible if that govern
ment were a restored hohenzollern-
list divine right monarchy or an ir-
responsible vigilance committee
holding on by main force.
But if a form of government
energies politically homogeneous with
that of the league land This is the
most probable eveEt), then there can
be no question, if the leag3e be an
honest one, and very little question
even if it be dominated ~ lingo
jealousies, that Germany must be a
constituent, and, from the Anglo
American point of view, very de-
sirable constituent.
Nevertheless, the Anglo-American
jingoes and, still more Immediately
the Anglo-American doctrinaires,
must reckon gently with the feeling
in France, which already so nearly
has driven nj. Clcmenceau into a
declaration of pure reaction toward
the old diplomacy which, With all its
drawbacks, has so signally avenged
Sedan. 1t is easy to sit Gown be-
hind the British feet, or at the 9TH
er side Of the Atlantic, and ask the
inhabitants of Picardy and Belgium
to feel safe in new moral world
within range Of Long Bertha, and
within a few minutes flight of aero
planes that drop earthquake bombs
on sleeping cities. -.
Even London, who, safe as II
seems comparatively, has TOR years
past not dared to allow clock to
strike, nor a light to shine from a
window at night. nor heard the re.
port of an anti-aircraft gun without
a spasm of terror, knows better
than that.
Force to Give Way to Security.
If the, old reliance on superior
physical force is to be given up, the
demand for security, which will be
more imperative than ever, will take
the form of a demand Tor disarma
ment. But not one Of he great pow
ers will consent to be genuinely dis
armed.
NJ. Clemenceau has said definitely
that France will not consent to thu
disarmament even of England; It
will insist on the retention OF the
British fleet. But it will find that the
question is not so easily disposed OF
as that.
The inhabitants of Picardy and
Belgium, contemplating their leveled
houses, Quilted factories, hewn down
orchards and crowded cemeteries,
may say: "a plague on your Brit
ish fleet. What worse could have
happened to us il there had not
been British ship on the seas! Did
we not starve with the Germans5
Has any town or village in Germany
suffered as ours have suffered?
was it not this feet building
business that began all the trouble?
Who, but ourselves, have had to
pay for it7 And now, you tell us
that America is going to build a
rival feet and begin the mischief all
over againl"
Thus, the very spectacle OF deVas-
tation, which urges M. Clemenceau
to obduracy against Mr.. Wilson,
turns out on closer consideration TO
be an object lesson in the need of
cooperation with him.
This argument will cut no ice in
England. If the British statesmen
dared be candid, they would say at
once, that no proposal for the re-
duction of the British feet will be
entertained for a moment, and that
it will be useless to argue that Mr..
Wilson's fourth point, namely, that
national ornaments will be reduced
to the lowest point consistent with
domestic safety" obliges England to
reduce her fleet.
Must Command Seas.
Her domestic safety absolutely
requires command Of the seas. II
is difficult to see how the United
States can take exception to this at
titude since their patriots have
fastened to announce that they too,