The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-15

claims OF the various nations are be-
ing heard and studied but the estab-
llshment of a principle on which such
claims shall be decided depends so
much on the creation OF the league of
nations that action on the report of
the territory commission is not ex-
pected before the other matter is set
tied.
Just where the United States Is GO
ing TO "get or in all this is n ques-
tion that is worrying many others be-
sides our senators, who debate 1t fire.
quently. II the orders of the league
are to be backed by force, 1t might
he necessary TO land European troops
in South American country, and
! that Is in direct violation OF the Mon
roe doctrine. If the former German
colonies and parts of the Turkish en-
plre are to be governed by manda-
tories OF the league, the United States
cannot well evade some of the respon-
sibility and might be called on to ad-
minister the affairs of Constantinople
and the Dardanelles. maintaining
Conceivably, this would arouse the
bitter opposition of "A considerable
portion of our population, but as we,
through President Wilson. are taking
a leading part in the reconstruction of
the world by the nations that defeated
Germany, we cannot avoid shoulder
ing our share of the resultant labor.
Another Interesting angle to the
situation was disclosed by the. state
mcnt by British Foreign Secretary
Balfour that the establishment of the
league of nations would not require
the abrogation of International alli-
ances hitherto entered into. Appar-
emily Great Britain, France and Japan
are not entirely sure OF the full eff
cacy of the league and would have
their offensive and defensive alliances
to fall back upon In case of need. Mr..
Balfour's statement also gave rise 70
the opinion that the allied nations
might decline to abrogate the secret
treaties they entered into for the di-
vision among them of certain terri
tories of the central powers. France
Is perhaps especially interested in
this. as the secret treaties not only
gave-her Alsace-Lorraine. but also the
entire coal district of the 'Saar valley,
and provided that the German ter
ritories on the left bank of the Rhine
should be freed from all political and
economic dependence on Germany.
Lenine's foreign minister Tchit-
chern. has sent out wireless message
saying the soviet government is willing
to participate in the proposed confer
ence on the Princes islands. He also
intimates that his government will
cease its propaganda in other countries
If the entente powers will undertake
not to interfere with Russia'S internal
affairs. The other Russian factions, as
represented at Paris, were rather sur
prised by Tchitcherin's action and We're
not at all pleased. They are strongly
opposed to the conference and had
hoped a refusal by the soviet govern
ment would relieve them of the neces-
sity of rejecting the plan. The boil
shevists. or, to give them, the more
fitting nppellation, the anarchists, in
northern Russia, after a series Of sue
cesses against the American and al
lied troops which were due to the diff
ticulty the latter experienced in get
ting supplies, went bit too far and
were given a stinging defeat by the
Yanks at Vistavka. on the Vaga river.
About the same time the Siberian
troops under General Gaida practically
annihiloted twO divisions Of tho an
archists at Kungur, so miles southeast
of Perm, relieving the latter city from
the danger of attack. General Gaida
then advanced on Ufa, (which the an
archists took some time ago. The cen
tral soviet OF Moscow has called to the
colors all men between the ages OF
twenty-nine and forty-ave years, say
ipg they will be thrown into the war II
the conference on Prinkipo island is q
failure.
In some directions the successes of
the anarchists of Russia were contin.
ued. They were reported to have cap
tured Windau. Courland's port, and to
have gained control of virtually the
whole of the Ukraine.
The Polish and Czecho- SlOvak troops
that had been fighting on the Silesian
front signed an armistice which, 1t is
presumed. will permit the emissarles
OF the peace conference to settle the
quarrel between the two nations.
The authorities of the allied nations
maintain their aloof attitude toward