The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-24
.tFRENCH ALLIANCE TO UNDERNEATH
WORLD LEAGUE, URGES SIMONDS,

when Germany should become strong
again. Therefore, Mr.. Wilson demand
ed-insisted on, and obtained the sup
port of the British for his demand
that France should annex no German
territory save her own lost provinces.
To this demand the French complied,
but on their side they argued with
equal Justice that four times within
century, twice at least totally un-
provoked by any French action, Ger
man armies had invaded France,
bringing ruin with them They pre-
scented the unQuestioned military opin-
ion OF Marshal Foch that France alone
could only defend herself against Ger
many on the line Of the Rhine. They
pointed out that Germany might con-
sent to lay aside her old ideals and
become q civilized nation, but that 1t
was equally possible that Germany
might return to her old pursuits Of
power and world domination, and that
| II Germany should do this after France
had retired from the Rhine in obedi-
ence to Mr.. Wilson's demand and as
necessary contribution to making
the league Of nations possible, the re-
cult would be ruin for France. II
France had to bear the burden of at
tack alone, and what was said for
France could be said with exactly the
same accuracy for Belgium.
Sec Need Of Protection
In this situation, therefore, the Brit
ish and Americans we're bound to take
need of the French contention. It was
unfair, it was impossible, to ask
France to sacrifice security, her own
security, on the mere hope that the
league Of nations might prove what
ill men hoped it would be, but few
men were able to believe it would be.
The United States, with three thou
sand miles Of sea separating it from
Europe, Great Britain, with the chan
mel forbidding invasion, could not ask
France with an open frontier towards
the Germans to refrain from giving
/ this frontier its strongest possible
form in the interests of the Anglo
Saxon experiment, which was the
! league of nations, without giving to
I France an assurance that il the ex-
pertinent did not work the total cost
would not be paid by France, that
German armies would not again come
down to the very outskirts of Paris
before real aid arrived.
| Moreover, a second consideration
had Importance. The view is still
Germany believed in the crisis of 1914
| that Great Britain would enter the
war If she attacked France or invaded
| Belgium, she would not have begun
the war Certainly the results of the
conflict have demonstrated that the
entrance of Great Britain promptly
and of the United States ultimately
into the struggle made German vic
tory impossible, and resulted in the
l oofo
it is believed and argued that were
Germany convinced in advance that
an attack upon France would mean a
new war with Great Britain and the
United States, she would not venture
upon such a gamble More than this,
recognition of this fact would con-
tribute largely to preventing the
growth in Germany of a new policy of
aggression and of militafism, and Ger
many, finding herself confronted with
the certainty of finding three great
nations in arms if she should wanton-
ly attack one of them, would lay aside
the policy of war, the idea of militar-
ism, the gospel of Prussianism.
i Alliance of Victors
i More than this, 1t is patent that the
League of Nations will be no more
than an alliance of the nations which
have defeated Germany, in which the
various neutrals of the last war may
enter, until such time as Germany and
her allies become voluntary members,
accepting its principles in the spirit
in which they have been framed. But
, 1t is impossible, as I have pointed out
for a period of at least fifteen years,
during which some measure of a con-
dition Of war will subsist, and Ger
many will be under duress and con-
straint. If therefore, the structure OF
? the league Of nations is to be pre-
served it can only be preserved by
! some such guarantees as an Anglo
French-American pledge would con
: stitute. Nothing is more possible than
, that Germany will seek to escape
, from the payment of reparations fixed
r by the treaty Of Versailles. Nothing
! Is more certain than that she will
= seek to erect an alliance in Europe
: composed of Austria, of Hungary, OF
! Bulgaria and of Russia. To this al
( lance she will endeavor to add any
I people which finds itself dissatisfied
( with the decisions taken at Paris. She
/, will seek to Mist the Italians, If they
, are dissatisfied with the Fiume settle
: ment. If the Italians are satisfied
I Sn0 Will euQedVOF 10 persuade the
Jugo- Slavs to join her group. We shall
have a period of at least fifteen years
? in Europe in which it will be a very
: grave question whether the old meth
j cd and the old system will be brought
. back by Germany into effective exist
t ence, or whether the new ideas or
!, which Mr. Wilson has based his poll
e cy will prevail. If the new ideas d.
+ not prevail, we shall have Europe di
/ vided, again as it was in 1914, within
: a relatively brief period of time.
The single chance fer a permanent
s. League Of Nations. possessing neces
/ sary force, is that 1t shall have behine
/ it the great resources of the three
I western powers, and beyond all else
9 the prestige and power of the United
States Germany will not easily fine
/ allies in Europe, nor will the German
q people be easily led into a new polio!
: of militarism if it is recognized tina
e this policy begins by depriving those
I responsible for it Of all American fl
g nancial assistance and ends by bring
|, ing the United States squarely int,