The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-24
UNITED STATES TO Be
INNOCENT BYSTAMDER
Uncle Sam May be Useu ~ Tug Horse
TO Pull Adr1afic Chestnuts
Out Of The Fire.

Out OF The Fire
Foreign Editor Of lie JournaI.)
Paris, Feb. z3-WhAt = wealth OF
bromide literature u not produced
thass days ahou the -old~ secret
diplomacy.
The corpse never enjoyed more
xowtshing health. In the staSnant
pools OF tho poace conference she
dnds vorttAble fountain Of youth.
Remember how she settled the
esaen Of rspresentation and proce.
0uro In accordance with her most
aAM1p traditiom2 How nimbly she
returned an dandorsed the project Of
. soc1sty Of nations?
1t Is unnecessary TO remain you Chat
here ahe h with VS. again, showing her
old wig At the first dangerous turn.
Tia method and work Of tho coun-
al OF ton appears SO bizarre that
many snw only a now manifestation
q tncoherence In the sudden appear
ance Of the Italo-Serb dispute
Shifting from the German colonies
10 Russia. from Rumania to Asiatic
Turkey-why not stumble some fire
into the AdYfatic?
The truth Is much less simple The
truth 10 that We have witnessed a lit
tie maneuver after the purest style
az the congress of Vienna
Worst for Tie Last
II may be worth while to explain
- Anaerttans who, arross the Atlantic
could not follow much subtle fencing.
the inside facts. The conference
deliberately took the codrse OF putting
off 10 the latest possible moment the
hothersome questions, particularly the
ftAlo-Serb conflict Then. suddenly,
French press announces that Serbia
AskS President Wilson's arbitration.
That was true az far as IL went but
with the scheme, which did not crigt-
nate In Serbian inspira tion. was hardly
outlined. The proposition dates only
rom February Ii. The premature
dfvuisencA. however. win unchain
pole mics. 80 farewell. discreet caution,
70 Indispensable to the biosspminx of
fragile hopes
In order TO forestaf1 aggravataon of
fffe conflict. the conference now m ust
forthwith discuss the affair. That is
exactly what happened
To know who played this brilliant
little game would be interesting in
deed In whose interest WAS it that
Serbian arbitration should be wrecked,
and how WAS IL done7
Whoever IL was. he win eventually
be caught in the network OF intrigue
The old style OF diplomacy hides its
own surprises
Meanwhile. the arbitration project
In spoiled. Very we'll, but how are
we TO dispense with the problem /?
There are three methods OF solving
the quarrel peaceabiy All the con-
ference procedures have chen unable
TO invent n fourth. The three are:
IA direct comprise
3-Intervention by a. third party.
hv srsY Hal
accepted by common consent
The Adriadc Dispute.
There is no hope of settling the
Adrfatic dispute ny a direct agreement
witch would. naturally, be much bet
far. and there is plenty OF room for
epm promise. But such an agreement
were II possible, would have been
made long since. particularly on the
day after Caporetto.
Each side takes . fined position
The Hlavs invoke technical arguments
while the Italians invoke history.
strategy and sworn agreements. Their
chief argument II the notorious treaty
81 Lscnden. signed by England. Frame
ana YtAH.
The Serbs know nothing about this
treaty, they say. Nor do they want
to know anything about it
Each side sticks by its guns. without
any prospects Of solutuion-
In such a situation friendly inter-
vsntion by a third party seems ap-
psopriatA Who are the friends ready
10 assume such an ungreatful role ?
The small powers7 They aren't even
allowed to consider such questions
perhaps In order to inaugurate the
era OF absolute equality between all
nations great and small.
Japan. She keeps carefully aloof
from European affairs. exercising Il
wtso restraint throughout the peace
conference.
There remain only Engians. France
And the United States.
II II apparent at once that England
and France would be in a quee, po-
udtion IL they pretended to conciIiate
differences arising from d treaty sign
Cd By them---the treaty which is
Baron Honnino's battle steed
Only one Of the two Trims is pos
GlbIe: Either the treaty stands or II
IL declared invalid. In the first event
thc London and Paris governments
axs firmly bound: in the second case
f1heir inpartiality would be slightly
hampered.
There Ia another objection. more
ssr1ous I am able 10 speak only for
France but the argument also applies
10 England. do not hesitate to say
that France Is unable to interfere in
this matter because her Judgment is
not unbiased we stre-- IA ugfrt. .hefwsHss
heart and head. Our sentiments
plead for the Slavs. who suffered
many misfortunes, who proved them
selves so valiant. and who so proF-
cry invoke the peoples ri~ht OF self
determination.
One reason. contrarily, reminds us
that Italy is our neighbor, and. mora
over, orr only support on the CONT
nent against Germany. and that a
firm solidarity should unite the Latin
nations.
Nay. Franc has truly other business
than TO break UP frier dships so pre-
cfous to her. Wilson's voice, there
fore, as always. Gains the unclaimed
PASSIONS.
Their remains then. after all only
the United States as a potential arbi-
ter. whether the debate continues
within the council OF ten or whether
Il is heard separately, President Will
pon alone is able to untagle the COM
plication.
whether it is wanted or no, arbi-
tration must come eventually. 1t is
thus that the 'old' and the young
s<~,lAn cOf dip1omacv meet. Old or