Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-14
rBv Associated Press.

PARIS. July 13.-Before leaving for
me United States last night Secretary
Lansing made the following statement
10 me American correspondent:
Many thoughts rush to my mind on
leaving the peace conference after six
months OF effort: Never before has
suGn an International gathering been
held. Tor here has been the meeting
grounds OF tweniyseren nations TO
iquidaie a world war and establish a
new order and laboratory where al
ready system of world cooperation
has been born. out of necessity
Out Of ii al has come the most i'm
portant international document ever
drawn-the treaty OF peace with Ger
many, document W ich not only meets
the issues OF the present war. but also
lays down new agreements of the most
bound together to avert another world
catastrophe. backward peoples are
given new hope for their future: sew
eral racial entities are liberated to
form new states: beginning is made
toward removing unjust economic re-
Strictions and the great military au-
tocracies OF Central Europe are de-
stroyed the first step in general
Disarmament.
The treaty is. of course. not all that
we had hoped for. 1t could hardly be
interests were involved, as we'll as too
many legitimate documents which
would tax the most perfectly balanced
mnd SsariI Io every one Will find find in it
mission, provisions inserted which bet
ter have been left out and provisions
left out which might better have been
inserted.
Such document must. however. be
examined both against the background
OF its creation and in the large sweep
we may cali it a stepping stone from
the old International methods to the
new. If il still holds some OF the dis
trusts and hatreds OF the war which
q n la N a1 f1r hAr
self. if it's construction has been hin
dered by memories OF secret pacts and
promises. il must be borne in mind
that il carries with ii the evident pur-
pose TO throw off the old me, hods OF in
ternational intrigue and plotting.
But the present treaties are but the
starting point of world reconstruction.
Now that the general principles have
been laid down 1t remains to execute
them: And by that mean not so much
retributive action against nations
world. but rather the healing and
cleansing processes that shall really
make good our hopes and aspirations.
Undoubtedly there is a great danger
in the world today. Many people have
thought that the mere signing OF the
treaty with Germany marks the ending
of the 70 wora per PaN Sic, opinion ri
lief and lapsed back into apathy. Con-
centration Of thought on world prob
lens is weakening now when it is most
eSSeHtldi. ana the ioFfeS ol oiSinteSra-
ton and reaction have been given a
freedom Of action far greater than
when the world was on it's guard.
The situation today is serious.
Western civilization is still dazed by
the shock of four and a half years of
destruction. Industry and commerce
are not yet restored. All of Europe is
impoverished; parts OF 1t are starving.
Its whole political fiber has been shot
through. Russia and Hungary are
gripped by suhversive political doc
trines; Austria-Hungary and Turkey as
empires have ceased to be: Poland and
CZecho- Slovakia are struggling to their
feet as members of the family OF ma
lions. All that complicated machinery
OF society which took decades to
down. cannot be replaced overnight by
a wholly different machinery.
Many problems remain unsettled
Territorial adjustments. to secure the
rights OF peoples to live under their