South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-05
Wilson Has Greater PoUer in
Paris Than Bismarck Had At
Notorious Congress of Berlin
But America Stands For No Selfish Policy and Emacated
Europe Cannot Dodge Leadership.

II not for year, not for the period
Of the war. but forever.
IL is essential TO recognize that
through the logic of events Amer
lea Will have more 10 do with the
shaping Of the treaty of peace than
any other nation. Mr. Wilson has
accepted for his country a mission
which perhaps the nation itself
could not have escaped in any
event. But he has done more than
accept. He has embraced opportu-
nifty. The Treaty of Paris will be
an American document, TO the eX-
tent which no American not now IN
Europe yet suspects.
May Have to Fight.
But at every point this document
will combine practical obligations
with experimental idealism. We
may see our influence, powerfully
seconded by the best and most en-
lightened minds in Europe, erect a
League of Nations. establish new
states, and free enslaved nations;
but TO preserve this structure will be
task only slightly perceived at
home as yet, although daily becom-
| ing clearer here.
Whatever form it takes in words,
! the League OF Nations Will be in
/ fact for its opening years perhaps
| forever, an alliance between Great
Britain. France and the United
! States, TO which other nations will
loin themselves. doubtless. but
against which there will be a new
German intrigue, and not impoSSibly
another German attack.
For 1t is essential for Americans
| TO recognize another fact which
daily grows clearer in Europe. GER
many is again beginning the process
of refrigeration AMI the first sigrs
aae far from encouraging. In de-
feat as in victory the German re-
| mains a thing totally distinct from
the western nations. Where he was
arrogant he is now humble, but it is
the humility of the hypocrite. His
mental processes remain incompre-
hensible. Unlike the French in 1871.
unlike men and, even more, women
in our Civil war, he does not meet
defeat with rigid muscles and UNI
bending spirit. on Sne contrary he
! whines, fawns, sacrifices his COM
rades to escape punishment himself,
| srovels: but always in his grovelling
| there is the unmiStakable eXpccta-
ton of material profit for moral
| a basement. Those men who held
| themselves lords of creation and
masters of Europe a few weeks ago
will go to any length at this hour 10
curry favor with the men of the ma
tions they WrOnged beyond expires
sion.
Germany Getting Ready.
Yet in this hour Europe, our own
and our allied representatives it,
Germany are conscious that in some
| humble fashion the old German
thing is beginning again.
German propaganda is at work.
| the German, although beaten, is
using his teachers and his preachers
/ to deny defeat, responsibility for the
war, everything. Thus the German
does not renounce his old ideas to
accept our western views, but takes
refuge behind methods and in de-
vices utterly incomprehensible TO
nations with histories and traditions
| like the GIGHClAs IollLASAA anu ia
selves
The surrender of the German
fleet was a thing ineXplicable TO 10.
to the English, TO nations with sea
tradition, but it was a lasting i'm
preston, in fact of the German idea,
l which abandons honor and ships
| with equal readiness when profit
lies elsewhere.
Now. Europe, still shaken by the
terrible wounds that Germany re-
Gently inflicted. conscious of great
IL reduced strength, and vaguely APP
prehensive over growing difficulties
OF a return to peace conditions, no.
only sees Germany recovering, but
recognizes that there Is no substan-
tial bulwark between Germany ana
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