The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-24
Copyright, 1918. by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

Copyright, 1918. by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicata)
BY FRANK n. siMONDS
Fugitive dispatches which reach
Paris from the United States suggest
surprise and misunderstanding at
homo over the agreement Of the pres
ident to lay before congress with his
own endorsement a proposal that the
United States should pledge itself to
come to the aid of France in company
with Great Britain. provided France
were wantonly attacked by Germany.
American comment, so far as it Is
accurately reported here. seems to
concentrate on the suggestion that
this process would be to create ano-
Their alliance. whereas the league of
nations was designed to eliminate al
nances. and consequently that 1t Is
unnecessary, since the league of ma
tons provides way for permanently
eliminating the element Of war.
In the present article am going
to try to set forth the European sit
uation both with respect to the league
Of nations and of this supplementary
step, which really should be regarded
nations. during the period necessary
get to work but to become established
and recognized by all nations.
Association OF Nations
To start at the beginning, the league
OF nations at the present moment is
no more than an association Of the
nations which defeated Germany and
Germany's allies which. having form
ulated the terms Of peace, are now
discussing these terms of peace with
the German representatives before
one of two things happen-either Ger
many accepts the treaty Of peace, or
she rejects 1t, and therefore makes a
resumption Of military operations
necessary.
The terms Of peace, as I pointed ont
the other day, even though they be
now accepted by Germany. do not
settle anything. but merely provide a
method of settlement stretched over
fifteen years at least, during which
time Germany can only be expected to
perform them II she finds herself
steadily unable to resist. The terms
Just as they are nevertheless 80 con-
ditioned upon the German conduct OF
war and German crimes against civil
1ization that at no time during the
period Of German performance can
there be the smallest possibility OF
voluntary acceptation or freewill sub
mission on the part of the Germans to
the sentence of the conference of Paris
which is in itself all that yet exists
of the League Of Nations. We shall
then have for a period Of fifteen years
at least, the preservation Of some
portion of the state of war against
Germany which existed after August
1914.
For these years, Germany will see
much Of her territory occupied. She
will be compelled not only to pay large
sums of money, but she will be sub
ject to many restraints totally differ.
ent from conditions preceding the war.
1t would be inaccurate to regard Ger.
many during the period fixed for the
performance of the terms OF peace as
anything more than a conquered en-
envy, fulfilling the terms of the treaty
of peace, II only because not to per-
form them would bring down upon her
at once military and naval as we'll as
economic pressure. During fifteen
years, then, there can be no question
of German acceptance Of the decision
made by the conference Of Paris, OF
any trustworthy entrance Of Germany
into the League Of Nations, which il
at one time an organization for inter
national peace and the association o.
her victors for application Of the terms
of the Treaty of Versailles.
Now the precise purpose Of the as
ISOLATION between Great Britain ant
France is manifest Mr. Wilson, rep
resenting his country, has come tt
France. He has been the most con
spicuous and most influential person
atty in the peace conference. He hal
imposed upon Europe his fourteen
points, which have become the basil
of the peace settlement. Despite man.
compromises, some large and some in
significant, each question has beel
settled in such fashion as to be &C
cepted by him as satisfying his orig
inal programme. But many of tn,
settlements have been in fact no NOR
than postponement of solution 70
a considerable number OF years, as
for example, the Saar coal region ques
tion will only be decided by plebis
cite fifteen years hence, and one coul,
multiply the number Of illustrations o
this sort. Moreover, In the case O
Poland, the solution arrived at Is O
such a precarious nature that POLAND
unsustained by the league Of nations
which mas created the FOllSn 1rOL
tiers, could not maintain hersel
against Germany.
Security Insured
Now, having thus imposed IN a veS
large measure an American settle
ment upon Europe, having compelle
each of the nations of Europe VIII
were associated with US in war agains
Germany to surrender its own views
not as to its opportunities to realiz
imperialistic ambitions. but it's nece:
stiles to provide securities against II
ture aggression, Mr.. Wilson has los
ically and naturally recognized tn
need of supplying to these associate
-or rather to the one peculiarly in
perilled, Franco measure of sect
rity to replace those surrendered q
his demand in the interests OF tn
league Of nations.
To put the thing simply: Mr.. Wi
son conceived that if France shout
occupy the left bank Of the Rhine pc
manently. which alone would enabl
France unassisted to defend hersel
against German attack, IL Franc
should annex the Saar coal region
wbyoI, would alone ensure commons: