The Washington herald., 1919-05-18
By JOHN L. BALDERsToN.

SoA2t oAss
But where does America get OF?
We read reams Of matter cabled
from Paris about what the Ger
mans think. how the terms AFFECT
the Italians and Jugo-Slavs. the
Dodecannese and the Hedjaz. and
why 1t Is necessary to insert clauses
in the treaty awarding to Great
Britain the skull of the Sultan
Okwawa. a naked numbo-jumbo war
lord in East Africa. and guarantee
ing to the Emir Feisul the warranted
original Koran of the Caliph Othman.
who massacred several million people
In the Seventh century of our era
Yet we Americans, too. are not
unconcerned with the terms of this
treaty. How our interests, our
claims and obligations, are dealt
with in the most momentous instru-
ment ever drawn up by the hand of
man, can be ascertained by examin-
alton of the summary of the docu-
ment.
1t is not necessary to wait until
President Wilson returns next
month and gives US the answer.
We can do the sum ourselves
Three main points the President will
ask the Senate to indorse in his set
tIement-the league OF nations; the
territorial and economic details of the
peace, and his, letter to Clemenceau.
undertaking, II Congress assents. to
hy to arms any moment Germany
makes another unprovoked attack on
France.
By the political genius OF Wilson.
which his friends and foes alike must
by now recognize. the league and the
terms of the treaty have been so
intertwined and made mutually de-
pendent that the Senate cannot make
reservations regarding the league
without destroying the whole treaty.
Consequently it now appears GER
tain that most Republican Senators,
however reluctantly, will vote to rat
ify the treaty. league and all. even
though they signed the anti-league
manifesto in-March.
For the Senate to refuse to con-
firm the peace would not only pro-
long the American-German war; 1t
would start hostilities again all over
the world in which allied nations,
small and large, would turn their
hands against each other.
1t has been American mediation and
the guarantee of American support
that has composed half a dozen dan
gerous duarrels in Paris; withdraw
the guarantee of the United States
and the whole world fabric falls to
pieces. Indeed. without the assist
ance OF the United States. many Eu-
ropean statesmen believe. no peace OF
any kind could have been made. and
the war must have gone on until Boil
shevism swallowed the whole con-
tinent.
When Wilson returns and convinces
Congress and the people on these
points. it seems unlikely that serious
opposition to ratification will develop.
We NAV take it that the treaty
league of nations and all. will re-
main as it is so far as this country
is concerned.
Pledged to France.
The pledge to assist France against
GERMANY next time stands on
different footing. Here the Senate
has a free hand to agree or refuse
IL the President is upheld. this coun-
try definitely enters the European
system, aligns itself on the side OF
France and England against a pos
sible future combination Of Germany
and Russia.
/ saw "and Russia" because. in our
time, Germany has been made help
less for mischief unless she can con-
troll the unlimited manpowers raw ma
terials and food possibilities of the
former empire OF the Cars.
This very real peril might eventuate
from the classification of Germany.
or equally from the overthrow Of the
Russian Soviets and the rise Of a
In pnaafo that
would fan the flames of revenge
smouIdering in German hearts by Of
fering the chance to try again what
Wilhelm tried and failed. failed be-
cause he fought against instead OF
with his natural ally in Petrograd.
America commits herself. il the Sen
ate approves the Wilson-Clemenceau
letter, far more than England did In
entering the Entente Cordiale" with
France and Russia before the war.
Sir Edward Grey. then British
Foreign Minister, refused in 1911
to 20 further than to authorize nom
binding discussions between Brit
ish and French military and naval
officers.
He was able to appear before the
House of Commons on August 3,
1914. and assure parliament that
the country's hands were not tied
formally. although an obligation
of honor had been assumed.
Britain did not know until this
speech was made what. II any. en-
gagements had been made by the
foreign office with Russia and
France.
England had in reality SO COM
mitted herself to the French that
she could not back out without q