The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-13
THE FAILURE TO cLINcH VICTORY.

Despite the obvious inability of the newspaper
pondents in Paris to obtain or transmit al 1.-THE truth
era facts of first Importance are making themselves
clear One of these is the growing friction in the
conference Another is the determination Of the leading
allies not yield the fruits of victory for the sake Of
creating league of nations Still another is the rap
idly increasing danger of failure of the amisce to
hold Germany in check until the peace terms be i'm
posed.
How much the aforementioned fact is due to the first
two is not apparent naturally; but the disclosures from
German well as allied sources fully warrant the
sumption that the peace negotators not making the
progress they had hoped and that the situation is drifting
and into the hands of the supreme council
and Marshal Foch. The attempt to create league of
nations before the actual accomplishment of peace in
Europe has had the effect of nurng both causes there
neither league nor peace. Those who wished to push
forward the league have been impatient at the tendency
to discuss matters which they regarded of minor i'm
portance while those who anxious to impose peace
upon Germany have looked upon the league of nations
idea nopportune by afording the enemy loophole
Of escape from the rigors of restitution.
Now Matthias Erzberger, the chief figure in the
German armstice commission with the statement that
he will agree to any further armstice terms if they
are too severe" The result Of Germanys refusal to
sign extension of the amistce would be neither peace
nor war; he says But in this statement he is mistaken
as Marshal Foch would show him. The termination
of the armisce means and. while hostilities might
not be vigorous there cannot be any doubt that the allied
armies would in and occupy the principal strategic
points in the German empire.
The failure of the Germans to comply with the terms
of the armisce makes it probable every day that
the allies will be forced to harsh All
ports confirm Germany's renewed spirit of defiance
strengthened by the increase of Hindenburgs army and
the failure of the allies to put the Germany
The allies that indanger of German aggression
therefore may feel that they must either force change
of policy in the peace conference prepare for another
war with Germany. 1t does not require much magma
ton forecast what these allies will do If they find that
they cannot postpone action
Already it reported that amendments to- the leagu,
of nations constitution have been offered which, if adopted
would destroy the league These amendments doubt
have been offered for the very purpose Of loading down
the constitution of the league with unavoidable pro-
visions 1t is an old parliamentary device and
tremely troublesome to deal with. "a
One of the reassurng aspects of the situation is the
directness of the allied military command in executing
the armistice terms Marshal Foch may be depended
upon to keep victory if the allies and the United
States will give him authority. In this connection it
noted that Foreign Minister Pichons denial that the
supreme economic council" would curail Fochs powers
was Immediately followed by an announcement of the
plans of the economic council which found to be
distinctly an invasion of the field heretofore occupied by
the military command.
The passing events not what the world hoped for
Three months have passed. and peace apparently far
Their away than on November IL, when the nations ex
uted over the downfall of Germany. In these circum
stances there growing feeling that the root of the
trouble lies in the failure of the allies to cnch their
vctoryher failure to strike down absolutely the Ger
man armed power and the German intent to kill. Unless
the situation should clear up soon by direct and
decisive action in disarming Germany, the peace
ference will necessarily resolve into conference
and the plan for league of nations will be indefinitely
postponed Washington Post