New-York tribune., 1919-02-07
lie Temps Upholds
Wilson's Views ON
Leagues Purposes
Paris Paper Says Nations
Must Pledge Armed Help
if One State Attacks An
other, TO Make Peace Real
Neao York Tribune
CDn..,T C.IY

opectdt Cd6le Service.
Copyright. 1919. New York Tribune inc.)
PARIS, Feb. 5.-The "Temps,' the
leading newspaper of Paris, with char
acterlstlc delicacy, reflects substantial
and much other Allied opinion in the
following editorial upon President Will
sons address to the Chamber of Depu-
ties:
The essential task of the society of
nations has been we'll defined bv Mr..
wilson, that when ever France or anv
other free people is threatened. the
whole world will be ready to vindicate
It's liberty AS to this the American
President declared there must never be
any doubt, or waiting, or surmise. A
wise recommendation which puts the
finger upon the vital spot.
"If there must be no waiting for
elaboration Of international guaran-
tees, neither must there be waiting on
the day when these guarantees are in
voked. Mr.. Wilson recalled the Origins
of the war; that time when France. as
ne so we'll said, stood at the frontier
OF freedom. She asked herself whether
she was to be alone in the struggle.
Her question: Mr.. Wilson added, was
answered in the most unexpected way.
Her Allies came to her assistance, but
many more than her Allies; the free
peoples of the world came to her as
sistance, and then America paid her
debt of gratitude to France by sending
her sons to fight upon the soil of
France
Striking Abridgment of History
"This is a striking abridgment of
history, but we must recover our per-
spective. The war in which Germany
expected to crush us began with
detour. 1t BEGAN with Austria Hun
gary's premeditated aggression against
Serba-51, 900 coo subjects against s.
100000. Russia=still imperial Russia
armed to defend the Serbans;
france FRA in loyalty prepared to support
her Russian ally; Germany invaded
Belgium and England entered the war
to defend the neutrality Of Belgium as
demanded Of her by treaty. Then Japan
declared war in her turn by virtue of
the alliance with Great Britain. All
this was not unexpected, nor was it
general movement Of peoples Fastening
to the aid of France. 1t was for the
Allies a series of defensive measures
dictated by honor and the special in
terests of each nation
III 1T had been a general movement
to defend liberty how can it be ex-
planned that the American people
waited three years to take their part?
For twenty-three months. or until
the moment when the British power
showed itself in the Battle Of the
Somme, there was in Europe only ore
great army cooperating with US against
Germany. 1t was the army Of the Czar
Nicholas.
What Each Must Do
Italy had to struggle against Aus
tria- Hungary. Belgium and Serbia had
been successiyeiy submerged Victory
came, nevertheless. But what sacri-
fees did it cost to hold steady until
then? If, in the future, the society Of
nations promises no more to its adher-
ents than the triumphs so dearly paid
for, it would find few lovers Must we
then foreeo international guarantees
Of peace? No. But we must make
them efficacious.
Each government affiliated with the
society of nations must have the will
and power to sign a very simple con-
vention by the terms of which it
pledges itself Immediately to make war
with all It's forces against any state
which should attack another state.
France is ready to sign. The United
States is, without doubt, ready to sign.
How otherwise can the speech Of Presi- I
dent Wilson be understood? And we
shall rejoice when this Interpretation