The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-19
If THE ENEMY SHOULD REFUSE TO SIGN.


appers assert that the treaty will be rejected Several
German public made the same assertion The state
ment of most weight comes from the German foreign min
lister, Count Brockdorf Rantzau who gives notice that
the treaty will be rejected if does not conform Pres-
dent Wilson's fourteen points, AS everybody knows that
the fourteen points began to disappear when the Par
conference adopted secret diplomacy instead of point
No. l. open covenants oney arrived att is than
idle for any allied sttesnan to waste time trying prove
that the coming peace based upon the fourteen points
The fourteen points, like all other general and theo
retcal plans for nauring lasting peace cubject to
what Mr.. Lloyd George calls the RELENTLESS force of
facts" Just bolsh ,vgm is breaking down before the
relentless force of economic facts the fourteen points
have broken down before the relentless force of political
facts Nations while approving the ideal that Inspired the
fourteen points, not willing sacrifice their existence
for Them and the conference has been marked by strug
gle between the necessities Of national existence and the
desrabiity Of meeting Mr. Wilson's views as far as pos
sble Mr. Wilson's views accepted by the allies as
the will of the United States 1t has ALWAYS been diff
hcut for any foreign to discriminate between
Mr. Wilson's personal will and the fixed will lof the Amer
lean people. Even Americans differ on the point
The allies have interpreted the fourteen points in many
ways The Germans propose interpret them to suit
Germany. The forthcoming meeting between the allied
delegates and the Hun ENJOYS is capable of developing
much mischief through delay and dispute but fortunately
the possibility of this mischief has been foreseen and dis
counted by the leading spirits of the peace conference
The Germans will be heard but their protests arc not like
y to change the peace terms If the German
should direct the ENJOYS refuse to sign the treaty I'M
less is amended to conform to this that one of Pesi
dent wilson's fourteen points, the allies will probably
give the Huns utimatum, fixing brief time in which
to accept the treaty take the consequences
What would be the consequences of Germanv's reiec-
lon OF the treaty? Prince Lchnowsky says the allies
cannot resume the against Germany We think he
mistaken The allies would enjoy several great advan
tages if Germany should reject the treaty Thty would
be no longer bound to the unfortunate fourteen points
The necessities of France, Belgium England, Italy, Po-
land CzechoSlovakia Serbia Roumana and Russia could
be freshly reviewed and adequately satisfied bv the
allies, Military occupation of Germany would occur
pending the hour when Germany would Internationally
surrender That would be far better situation than the
one which followed the armstice wherein Germany in
sisted to her people that her army unbeaen and could
furnish some proof that the boast was true "Uncon
dltional surrender" must come from GERMANY either
through acceptance of the peace treaty now or through
hardshps and the axacaon of much more severe cond
tons.
Falnt-hearted persons have suggested that the allies
could not make another successful military move that
their armies are FESTIVE and would refuse go into Ger
many That not the temper of the allied armies There
Is no heart taiume among the fighting lads of any allied
nation They disappointed when the armistice came
The Huns were crumbing but were not hammered down
to unconditional surrender they should have been The
allied troops would be delighted to take possession of the
strategic points of Germany They could grip the Hun
empire within a week in wise of steel. The stifennc
OF the blockade and military control of Germany would
be good thing in many respects 1t would knock from
the boche head the belief that he still feared 1t would
oacy Germany and save its pay the allies in
1emny bill 1t would put the allies in close touch with
Poland and strike terror into the hearts of the Russian
eds And finally would reassure the large contingent
allied countries which firmly believes that the allied
governments are suffering from midty and are afraid
o clinch their own victory 6
If the stubbonenss of the Germans shall renew the
confidence of the allied governments and stimulate them
nto strong vigorous action calculated to rvet the VIC
ory it will be good thing Washington Post
Years are being spent in building the Episcopal Cathed
al of ST. John the Divine in New York that being the
Did World idea but is wonder it doesn't CRATE on the
American notion that anything ought to be
uilt and put in operation in eighteen months j
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK
The salient feature of the business situation is conf