Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-27
EUROPEAN CAPITAL AND THE
PEACE CONFERENCE.

The foreign policy of England,
France and Italy before the war was
in each case dominated by certain
groups of financial interests. When
England or France or Italy acquired
a colony it was not to please the Ia
boring man. He may have been
pleased, but the matter was not in his
line He was trying to solve other
problems When war came, the APP
peal was made to his patriotism, and
he responded. He fought or worked
and tine war was won
The men who in Europe came to
the top during the war were for the
most part the ablest men in the sew
eral countries. In England they hap
pened to be largely Tories. But they
had to call IN Lloyd George as head
of the government. because they
couldn't get along without him. lie
had the pep and the genius to make
things go, and the popularity with
the workingmen to hold them to their
Jobs The coalition government was
supposed to represent all parties.
Thore were several labor men in 1t,
But except for the liberal Lloyd
George, the most important positions
were held by the Tories. After the
war Lloyd George went before the
people while their enthusiasm and
their gratitude were still hot with
the result that the elections returned
the coalition government by an over
Whelmins majority.
In France the nero of the war 'is
old Clemcnceau, the tiger of France.
He did for France what Lloyd George
did for England. He hasn't the adj
minstrative capacity. but he has the
enthusiasm, and he pulled France to"
gether when things looked rather
dark. He has lived his life in the
shadow of Germany, and hatred OF
Germany will be his dominating mo-
tive to the end. In Italy the Tory
government of Orlando and Sonninc
is still popular in the same way IhuS
we find that the European delegates
to the peace conference represent
Tory governments. Territorial ag'
grandisement and the punishment OF
Germany are part and parcel OF thell
creed. The financial interests are
dominant.
And these delegates represent then
governments much better than they
represent their peoples. The govern.
ments are followers. Their presen
popularity is most unstable. The dis
satisfactions attendant upon releasina
soldiers and getting back TO norma
basis are likely to disrupt things a
any moment. The soldiers are i'm
patient to get back home and the
folks at home are impatient 10 have
them back Thus while it might APP
pear on the surface that these dele
gates could go ahead and to do VIVA
they liked, they are as matter o
fact bound at every point. France
and perhaps England would nave
f! liked to send Il real army INTO Rus
STA. That the governments woult
have liked to- and the financial inter
ests demanded it. The campaign
against the Bolsheviki has been con
! tinuous--in the press, so far as the!
could control it. But when 1t came
to the point, the governments simpl!
! did not dare to order the soldiers mt
| Russia No government could last
! moment that attempted 1t.
Thus Wilson's policy of cancellation
with Russia won out, and the French
! financial interests are painfully i'm
| pressed"
We have to thank Lloyd George TO
this largely In all things watel
Lloyd George. 1t was he that sug