El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-24
EUROPE NEVER
TRUSTED LEAGUE
Covenant Is a Concession to
Wilson in Return for
Triple Alliance.

nations, which was 10 make war i'm
/ possible in the future Europe-the
/ allies-were equally resolved upon q
] peace which should. so lar as II was
humanity possible. repair their losses
and heal their gaping wounds.
Afnerica's idealistic experiment was
! possible, alike in view of our history
: and our contemporary condition. Tor
Europe il was impossible alike be-
cause Of traditions and immediate
circumstances.
british Withheld Opposition
But given the essential facts, the
diplomacy OF the great powers, Brit
ain, France and Italy. dealt with the
American proposal in totally different
fashions. particularly at the outset
The British, on their part. with
supreme good sense, elected not to
thems elves with a proposal recog-
nized by most of them 70 be decidedly
impractical and gain thereby the in
calculable advantage of new and clos
er friendship. with the United states.
The French honestly but moderately
proclaimed their lack OF faith in the
Wiisonian doctrine, while the Italians
stood cody aside, insisting at all
times uDon such national benefits as
they had material claims upon
The result was inevitable In the
hriefesr time the British and Ameri-
can representatives in Paris We're
working in closest harmony. Cecil.
SHUTS and half a dozen other British
and colonial representatives We're
framing the covenant OF the league
OF nations. while between the French
and American representatives there
was in existence and between the
italian and American representatives
there was growing up an estrange-
ment which shortly endangered the
peace Of The world
Great Diplomatic Triumph.
Now in all this situation, which re-
suited in the greatest diplomatic
triumph in al British history, It is
very nard 10 separate accident from
design 1 Do not believe X is true as
is frequently urged, that the British
undertook 10 deceive or manipulate
the president and the American repre-
sentatives- They did not believe in
the league Of nations any more than
the French. but they saw what the
French failed 10 see. that friendly
and sympathetic association with the
president promised 10 pave the way
to something eminently desirable
namely, A permanent Angio-American
alliance. in fact If not on paper
They saw with equal clarity
two other things; they saw that
there was very real Likelihood
that championship OF the presi-
dents ideas would remove the
possibility OF n clash over such
ISSUES rs the freedom of the seas
ard the possession Of the German
colonies. Henry " once said Of
his change OF religion that ~France
WAS worth a mass,- and British
craftsmanship with equal vision
recognized that American friend
ship. accepting the president as
representative OF america, was
worth any amount OF sympathy
and aid 10 the president in fur
therinE plan, which, whether
practical or not, WIS without peril
TO British interests and had an
appeal 10 certain elements In the
British population.
The other thing the British saw
with the greatest clearneSs was that
the war had changed the position Of
America Britain, victorious though
she was had been crippled financially
ana economically recovery. II certain,
would be slow: America was a DO
tential rival certain TO occupy some
thing Of Britain's position in the
world for some time to come. certain
to be the strongest single power on
earth for many decades, Therefore.
20 quarrel with America would be
fatal and 10 quarrel over the league
OF nations mere faulty
At this point it is necessary 10 add
enc more thing II British policy
clearly pointed in one direction. there
IS no less unmistakabls. evidence that
the desire Of many Englishmen with
put regard 10 national questions was
Tor new basis Of Anglo-Americz
citations II there was calculation in ]
bElusn policy there was not less GER
tainly spontaneous and widespread /
anxiety 70 establish newer and firmsr /
friendship between the two ENGLISH
speaking peoples. IN sum- I an anx-
ous 70 maket clear that the British i