, 1919-02-13

cidims Oh tHe various nations are De-
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 a ques-
ton that is worrying many others be-
sides u senator's. who debate 1t fire.
quently. II the orders of the league
are to be backed by force, 1t might
be necessary to and European troops
in a South American country, and
that Is in direct violation of the Mon
roe doctrine. II the former German
colonies and parts of the Turkish en-
pire r to be governed by manda-
tories of the league, the United States
canno well evade some Of the respon-
sibility and might be called on Il ad-
minister the affairs of Constantinople
and the Dardanelles, maintaining
military as well as civil forces there.
Co~nceivably, this would arouse the
bitter opposition of a considerable
portion of our population, but as we,
through President Wilson, are taking
4 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
ment by British Foreign Secretary
Balfour that the establishment of the
league Of nations would not require
the abrogation of international alli-
ancss 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
to fall back upon in case of need. Mr..
Balfour's statement also gave rise to
the opinion hat the allied nations
might decline to abrogate the secret
treaties they entered into for the d.
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 hat 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-
cherin, has sent put q 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
II the entente powers will undertake
not to interfere with Russla's internal
affairs. The other Russian factions, as
represented at Paris, were rather sur
prised by Tchitcherin's action and were
not at all pleased. They are strongly
opposed to the conference and had
hoped a refusal by the soviet overn
ment would relieve them of the neces-
sity of rejecting the plan. The boil
shevists, or, to give them the more
fitting appellation, the anarchists, In
northern Russia, after a series of III
tC86C8 abath8t Az ~ 81"
lied troops which were due to the diff
iculty the latter experienced in get
ting supplies, went a 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
annihilated two divisions of the 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 tool soma time ago. The CEN
trail soviet of Moscow has called to the
colors all men between the ages of
twenty-nine and forty-five years, say
ing they will be thrown into the war II
the conference on Prinkipo island is a
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-S lovak troops
that had been fighting on the Silesian
front signed an armistice which, II is
presumed. will permit the emlssaries
Of the peace conference to settle the
quarrel between the two nations.
The authorities of the allied nations
maintain their aloof attitude toward