Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-27
BY. EDWARD. MARSHALL.

cEcuCA STATESMAN. naQ. Deen In
Paris during the darkest days
Of the war. Dirigibles at that time
were making journeys over tho
French capital very different from
that which the great British "blimp"
made over New York on the day, Of
the distinguished Frenchma MS arrival
here. The fact impressed him.
ut Is good" said he. that the, ar
rival of o, foreign airship can cause
rejoicing. in a city and it's departure
give rise to. genuine regret. What q
changed"
1 asked him about the attitude, Of
the French people. not the politicians,
but the people. with regard to, the,
worlds, future. the treaty, the league
and international relationships in
general. Concerning these things the
Baron d'Estournelles de Constant.
senator of France. member of The
Hague tribunal and. long before the
recent war began. one Of the worlds
most distinguished laborers in the
cause Of peace. Is particularly we'll
qualified to. speak.
;. X X X \
ION the whole. I may say" said he.
that hope the world agreements as
drawn UP in Paris everywhere will
be ratified and put into operation.
II do not say this because I believe
them to be perfect. I know. and
said In public. they are not that. The
treaty as arranged in Paris will need
much amendment doubtless. and that
which it. needs it will get. But we
ho haf
amend intelligently. and the treaty as
drawn up gives us a basis.
1.-The same thing. may be said Of the
league covenant as prepared at Paris.
1t will need to be amended; very
greatly amended in the future IT, it
is successfully to serve its purpose.
But we must have covenant before
we can amend a covenant. Like the
treaty. the, covenant will be valuable
as giving US a basis for discussion.
THE people. of the United States
must not mistake the attitude of the
people of France. have said to my
better satisfied than some Americans
seem to be- that we who are hoping
for fine maturity for the world re-
organization, must not begin by kill
ing the child as soon as 1T is born.
We must be content even though 1t
be not perfect in it's bodily proper
tions and in strength. We must ac-
cept its imperfections at the start and
cndeavor to correct them by education
and by training.
"Once the treaty and tho covenant
have been ratified. then we shall have
an opportunity to work toward their
Improvement. Necessarily and i'm
evitably they have been the offspring
of hurried work, done in time of
great world stress. when all minds
must be more or less abnormal. But
nothing can be accomplished toward
their perfection until ratification has
taken place and enabled all these alb
normal conditions to correct them
selves. When this has occurred, then
we can think clearly think carefully,
think effectively
with the treaty Las with the league.
we shall know what to do when we
have begun to apply it to the ordinary,
everyday peace-time relationships be-
tween nations. Then. and then only,
to appreciate its virtues. Before we
can perfect we must apply and watch.
" n X "
This done we may leave the future
safely to care for itself. I shall DO
willing to do so with a calm conf
dence in that Franco Anglo American
friendship which has been the nobiest
outgrowth of the war and which
have been advocating all my life.
am certain that it will be effectively
preserved.
ITO every one who has worked in
the cause of international friendship
during recent years great credit Is
due, as vast blame must be laid at
the doors of those who have striven
to foment enmitics.
The war has built real friend
ships. which l verify believe I'M
parallelled In the worlds history.
These friendships have been an In
ternational necessity OF victory In
war. Now we must all remember that
in peace time they are as great a
necessity of international co-opera-
ton toward human progress and hap
piness. We must keep them vigorous
ly alive. We must work as strongly
for the peace as we worked for the
vctory--as strongly and as har-