South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-19

war turing WHICH the attention OF
the various nations has been concen-
trated first upon domestic, political
and economic conditions, and later
upon the framing OF the league Of
nations. while absolutely nothing IF
a practical nature has been done In
dealing with Germany. We stand
practically where we stopped on
Nov. II, so far as making peace with
the principal enemy and imposing
terms which must be imposed upon
the enemy are concerned.
Now in the course of these three
months. Germany as I pointed out
the other day, has achieved marvel
Gus refrigeration. She has dealt
summarily and completely with her
bolsheviks She has abolished all
danger Of secession and sectional
agitations She has pulled herself
together and at Weimar she has
achieved a successful and complete
political organization. Each week
has brought a new accession Of
strength and confidence TO the Ger
man nation which has escaped a
like invasion by the enemy and rev.
olution at home and finds herself
with her factories and her cities in
tact with great military resources
remaining TO her and perceives in
Paris superficial disagreement be-
tween her conquerors which hold
out promise that she may yet es-
cape from the consequences of her
crimes and her devastation and TO
put the matter very bluntly. win the
war at the peace conference, having
lost il on the battle field.
FRENCH PERCEIVED
DANGER AT ALL TIMES.
Alone among the three great ma
tons represented at Paris, the
French have perceived this danger
of Germany at all times. Pres't
Wilson was welcomed by the French
people as an evangel OF a new gos-
pei, but in every French mind there
was a clear perception that the con-
ditiOn antecedent to the league of
nations or anything else must be a
guarantee OF the safety Of France
against Germany. which had four
times invaded her in the last CEN
fury and still preserved the potential
strength to repeat her earlier adven-
lures.
Therefore IL was natural and II
was inevitable that there should be
a very real and very deep sense Of
disappointment and apprehension
when Pres't Wilson coming to Paris,
fixed all his attention and all his
effort on the league OF nations, SEEM
ing TO pay little heed to the practi-
cal and material problems necessar-
lily bulking so great in the French
mindA France after four and half
years Of agony, after devastations.
losses. approximate ruin, was in
capable Of approaching the question
OF the reorganization of human So
ciety from an abstract point of view
and increasingly French public opiG-
ion felt that the very real cause of
France was being forgotten and that
this carried not only present disap-
pointment but future deadly peril 10
the nation and to the race.
ENDLAND HAD NO
WASTED FIELDS.
In this situation, English policy
pursued an individualistic course
British statesmen perceived clearly
that the great value. the unmistak-
able necessity of achieving sub
stantial and enduring alliance be
tween America and Great Britain
England had no open frontier to-
ward Germany. She had no imme-
date threat of invasion If Germany
should come again. She had nc
wasted fields and ruined villages and
British statesmen therefore could
afford TO make every concession in
time and principle to Mr.. Wilson's
inhexible resolution that the leagu5
OF nations should be the first produci
OF the Paris conference.
We have therefore a very clear
and definite division Of feeling and
OF interest in Paris, particularly
during the last fortnight, growine
out OF French national. if exagger-
ated. apprehension lest Germany be
permitted TO reorganize for a new