Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-18

4 w lh' IIN uDblI IL al leI llldI udlt, JUST
As they are now pressing severely on
the German people, who dismissed them
/ 50 airily when they invaded Belgium in
! 1914.
! The final answer Of the Allies to their
! fallen foe and NJ. Clemenceau's covering
| reply" are concerned strictly with ire
! ducible facts. Both for Germany and for
| statesmen Of the type of BOrah, Lodge,
Knox and Reed the withdrawal Of the
! dreaming privilege is in sight.
Doubtless the kaiser in 1913 would
have declared himself the most practical
OF men, representing the most practical
Of empires. Material preparations for
the Teuton mastery Of Europe and, in
deed, of the world had been carefully
and elahorately made.
But it was not upon formidable arma-
mcnts and man-power alone that the Ger
man mind based its confidence. The en-
pire was not merely flirting with ideal
ism. 1t was passionately caressing it,
casping it to its breast with insensate
fOndness.
That this ideal was base dctestable,
ruthless and savage does not in the least
invalidate the significance of the word.
Indeed, the very orgy of eXtravagant
fancies was so attractive to the Hun con-
seriousness that the British army was
called "cOntemptible," the just wrath of
America was unconsidered and the
righteous anger of virtually the entire
world was fatuously challenged. 1t was
I l.. IL
mated Germany's downfall.
The phrase is persstently obtrusve at
| this moment. 1t falls particularly glibly
from the lips of those bind politicians
who oppose the league Of nations and
convicts them of two offenses:
First. Subscription to the very code
which they profess to repudiate.
Second. Ignorance of the English die
tionary.
That volume may be proftably con-
suited "Idealism" is elucidated as fol-
lows:
Representation of things in ideal
form, imaginative treatment"
As an explanation both of Germany
| and of recalcitrant forces in the United
States Senate the definition is incon-
testably pat. Imaginative treatment of
an outraged and concretely existent
| civilization is clearly dscernibe in the
record of Teuton submarine lunacy. I'm
aginative treatment of months of in
tensely practical endeavor and of the
| most realistic effort to erect a structure
| of world peace which shall be based, not
on any fattering misconception Of human
| frailties, but on a substantial system of
| checks and balances, is vividly evident in
the opposition to the covenant.
1t is the logical part of the simon
pure deaist to despse the international
pact. That still unsanctioned agreement
considers men and nations not as they
ought to be in a world purged of sin, but
as they are. Idealism should proclaim
that human nature has been so scarifed
| by war and desolation that it may be
trusted not to resume armed strife.
To be strictly consistent the arch
radical, who adores the alleged "high-
brow" weeklies and practices parlor boil
| shevism with verbal effulgence, should
be adamant against any peace-preserv-
ing pact whatever. His lamentations
over the so-called offenses of the present
document are unconvincing. His advo-
cacy of "imaginative treatment" is un-
represented unless he loftily disdans any
formal pledge.
But the Senate muddlers, and their
supporters among the citizenry, are out
spokenly unsympathetic both to the
crazed mlitaristic, "will-to-power" ideal
ism which went to smash in Germany
and the irrational hyper-refned but still
inconsistent brand distinguished by jere-
miads over "Mr. Wilson's failure"
The Borahs, the Lodges, the Knoxes
and their kind flatter themselves that
their feet are on the solid earth. Yet
thew are the arch champiOns of imagina-
tive treatment in its most pcrilOus form.
Unless their tactics are exclusively
compounded of political bluster and par
tisan spite, these practical men" are
embattled to wreck the only tangible and
authentic constitution ever devised to
keep erring mankind at peace, and they
are arrayed to overthrow an exhaustively
explicit treaty in favor of something else
which they would be sorely perplexed to
define in set terms.
If this is not deluded idealism run ram.
pant, what is 1t?
Mr.. Wilson will return with practical
document guaranteeing the worlds long.
deferred return to a peace basis. Per.
haps idealism in the truly noble sense
the spirit which infuses concrete stipu,