The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-28
tons is stillborn, another scrap OF
paper, an utter dead letter.
n President Fails


paper, an utter dead letter.
II President Fails
The practical application of all this
IL patent If President Wilson shall sue
coed in persuading the American peo-
pie to become with France and Eng
land and italy co-guarantors OF the
league OF nations, prepared to defend
both nations and principles associa-
ted, prepared to accept part Of the bur-
den Of giving the smaller peoples a
chance to organize and become self
governing and self-sufficient. then
President Wilson may come DacK
here and exercise an enormous inftu-
ence in the later phases Of peace max
ing and the ideas and principles ex-
pressed in the league OF nations VIII
dominate through the whole intricate
and difficult process OF recognizing
Europe and the rest Of the world.
II President Wilson fails to per
suade the American people to take up
their share of the burden OF the world
organization, then when Mr. Wilson
comes back he will find the league OF
nations project shelved, and bitter
disillusioned Europe, thrown back on
the old-fashioned methods and old
fashioned ideas, compelled to take
precautions against Germany which
would be unnecessary il America we're
permanent partner.
Our whole mission and our whole
role in Europe is now at supreme
crisis. Europe. and particularly
France and England, have accepted
our leadership expressed by Mr.. Will
son, and have formulated the project
ed league Of nations. but they have
! done it purely and simply on the as
surance of the president Of the United
states that America was prepared to
share in the burdens, responsibilities
/ and guarantees of such league OF
nations. The French believe they have
assurance from the president in the
matter of military establishment OF
| America. The English. at least. have
/ a profound hope that their cordial,
consistent cooperation with Mr.. Will
son, without which he could not have
achieved his covenant, will be recon-
rpensed by American participation in
mandatory responsibilities OF the
world.
But do not think that ! exaggerate
when / say that if America rejects
her responsibility, the profoundest dis
appointment and disillusion will fol-
low. both in England and in France
1t will no longer be possible for Am
erica to exercise an effective influ'
ence in the direction Of a new-fash.
toned world settlement. The substan
tial fact that Germany. having brok
en- the balance of power in Europe by
destroying Russia, having assured the
absorption of German Austria, having
destroyed the Industrial establish
ments of Belgium and northern
France, must find herself within the
next few years in a better position
from which to start out to conquer
the world than she was In 1914. Un
less the United States readjusts this
balance OF power by associating her
self with the western nations, the
only possible hope for the western ma
lions is to impose such peace OF
Germany that German recovery VIII
be long, slow, and difficult. Tn
mere question Of self-preservation VIII
be the determining test of the treat,
of Versailles.
BY contrast, and this is the British
yiew-if Germany finds herself dis
armed by the provisions OF the treat
. of peace, with consumption abolishe
and II she finds herself confronted 10
the future, should she elect to resum
militaristic ideas by England, France
:. Italy and the United States in clos
defensive alliance, the temptation t
follow her old pathways will be great
~ reduced The German people. wear,
of war like everybody else. crippled
by burdens and conflicts, will at tn
outset refuse hopeless competition |
ornaments and by degrees lose tn
habit of military service and thu
gravitate toward the ideas espresso
, in the league of nations. We canno
, abolish Germany, we connot even pei
, manently bind SO,O00.000 Of people
the most we can possibly do is, on tn
one hand to take all possible precal
lions against new attack and on tn
: other hand to hope that the very e.
: tent of our precautions, the closene:
of the association of the four gre;
powers, will exercise profound !
fuence on the mass of Germans b
demonstrating the impossibility
winning by the old methods
The American Referendum.
In sum, the league Of nations cow
nant which Mr.. Wilson takes back I