The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-26
SIMONDS SEES
ALLIANCE FOR
THREE POWERS
Says u. S., Great Britain and
France Are Considering De-
fensive Union.
BY FRANK Il. SlMONQS

Editors Note: The following article
by Mr.. Sinonds must he interpreted In
the light of a statement issued Friday
by Secretary Tumulty In which he said
II cablcgram had been received from
President Wilson, "givfnE positive and
unqualified denial" TO reports that the
president had entered into n secret al
lance or treaty with some of the great
powers.
Copyright. 1919. by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)
PARIS, April 21.-The past ten days
have seen remarkable change in the
main topic of interest at Paris. The
forthcoming settlement with Germany
has been totally subordinated to spec
ulation on the treaty of alliance be-
tween the United States, Great Britain
and France, purely defensive alli-
ance. in fact amounting to treaty Of
reinsurance guaranteeing France
against German assault.
The origin of this new proposal
for am told upon good authority that
IL has not been signed yet--iS patent.
AS a result of the war, Great Britain
has acquired the German fleet and, III
comparison with her allies, has elm
mated the German colonies. She thus
sits once more securely in her island,
protected by her ancient rampant Of
sea. The United States is about to
withdraw from Europe. and three
thousand miles of ocean will separate
us from German attack. But France
and Belgium remain exactly where
they were in August, 1914, subject to
German attack and protected only by
their own armies, which, given their
populations, must be inferior to Ger
man resources.
Guarantee Demanded
Realizing this situation, France and
Belgium have sought to have inserted
in the league OF nations some form
OF guarantee which would provide that
in case any one of the nations belong
ing to the league should be attacked,
that attack should constitute cause
for war for all the members of the
league. and also that effective methods
should be provided by the league to
insure the permanence of German dis
armament which will be ordered by
the treaty of peace. Both these amend
ments were rejected mainly through
American objection.
In this situation France, and what
is true Of France is of course true of
Belgium, saw quite clearly that at the
end of the time necessary for Germany
to recover from the present war, she
would find herself once more exposed
to the attack Of her ancient enemy, |
with no other hope of aid than that
which flowed from putting into mo-
ton the cumbersome machinery of the
league of nations. In other words,
while II would take months for the |
league of nations to act. 1T took only
six weeks for the Germans to get with |
in sight of Paris in 1914.
Germany Still Doubtful
or course If the Germans should &C
cept the treaty of peace in good falth
and subscribe to the League of Ma
tions without reservation, this agree (
ment would necessarily suffice, but
no one can foretell what the course
OF Germany will be. She may go Boil |
shevist as Russia had don9, and at |
tack her neighbors as Russia is doing |
now She may become imperialist1c
again. and follow the old pathway. II
she does either. France will be left +,
TO meet the storm exactly az in 1914.
IA a consequence, the French first
asked that the League of Nations
should contain provisions lnsurlng
prompt action in case of German az
gression, and then with repeated en-
phasis requested that the United
States and Great Britain should under
write the League of Nations by agree
ing that in case of German aggression,
and specifically in case Germany
should send troops across the Rhine
10 attack France, the United States
and Great Britain should pledge them
selves to recognize this as an act OF
war against themselves and automati-
cally set their forces in motion with
out waiting for the League of Nations
to examine the case.
Obstacles in America.
British consent to such a proposal
was ready and natural, since the Brit
ish recognized that only accident and
German laundering prevented the
kaiser's troops from getting to the
channel in 1914, with all the conse-
quent perils to Great Britain, and the
mistake of 1914 will not be repeated;
but the British are insisting that
America share the guarantee, not only
to insure Americas great potential aid
but also in the belief that the greatest
possible guarantee for the future Will
be the recognition by the Germans
that aggression against France will
mean war with both Great Britain and
the United States. Had Germany re-
allied that in 1914, Europe believes she
would have hesitated long before pre-
cipitating war. Obviously, President
Wilson could give no such understand
ing, and quite as plainly Lloyd George
will not venture to give such a guaran-
tee without referring it to parliament,
but as 1t stands there seems good rea-