The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-30
After the Signing.

The treaty was signed by the Ger
mans seven months and seventeen
days after Germany's surrender. So
far as results go, 1t might as we'll
have been signed six months ago. The
advantage of half years start in
the resumption of actual peace and
the worlds business may be small
item to those grand minds which look
upon months as infinitesimal links in
the endless chain Of Time; but to most
lowly grubbers of the earth-whether
they toll In fields, factories or count
ing houses-six months is six months
and a really appreciable section Of
the human span.
France and England knew on Ar
nistice Day-indeed, some time be-
fore that-what they were going to
ask for, insist upon and get. That
they have got, and the long argument
over 1t has not abated the pains Of
nations one whit or contributed in the
least measure to that general good
feeling which was supposed to follow
the grounding Of arms and which will
eventually bless the inhabitants of
this ball of mud. But when that
pleasant era comes it will not be be-
cause of any .eloquence at Versailles
or Of anything written on paper. 1t
will come through the healing minis
trations Of DR.. Time, the practitioner
who never takes vacation.
America asked nothing in this war
but the right to participate in the sub
lection of the Power which had sunk
American ships and murdered Amer
lean citizens. Our aims were victory
and the rehabilitation Of our reputa-
tion, somewhat smudged by the hest
fancy Of ofilceholders In recognizing
the manifest fact that Germany was
making war upon US. We have, at the
cost Of sixty thousand lives and twenty
FIVE billions Of money, achieved these
aims. Having nothing to demand in
the way of German territory, our
part In the material side of the peace
treaty has been necessarily small and
we are not aware that the shipload
of geographers, photographers and eth
biologists taken to Europe by Colonel
HOUSE for the purpose Of explaining
Europe to Europe had tie slightest
effect upon anybody except-and in
a most favorable way-the proprletors
and walters Of Paris hotels.
France came out Of the Hall Of
Mirrors with her dreams Of fifty years
realized. After the most gallant strug.
gle in history she has the satisfaction
of seeing her enemy beaten. humbled,
and her stolen goods restored. If she
has lost anything 1t is the hate she
bore toward Germany. a hate bred by
the insolence Of BISMARCK, the whole
attitude Of the German people and the
bestial crimes of the invaders. No
vlctors can hate as losers do.
Great Britain came as probably
from the treaty room as the custom Of
her empire Is. She has her sea
power, her dominions and her colo
MES, and they have been added to at
the expense of the beaten. Remember
ing the fine way in which England
kept her faith with Belgium none
will begrudge her this triumph over
the nation with which sooner or later
she was bound to come to a fight.
Belgium walked out of the palace
with a high head, even If little more
In a way hers was the finest part in
the whole play. She had nothing ma
terlal to gain and all to lose. No rep
aration granted in the treaty will
bring back what Belgium sacrificed,
but she has ths satisfaction Of know