El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-05-05
ITALY IS TESTING
OUT THE LEAGUE.
Present Crisis VIII Show If
Moral Force or Armed
Force Prevails.


contrasJed with military force in the
world, for this is precisely the sort
Of question OF which the Fiume dis
cute is an example, which must in
the future provide tasks for the
league Of nations To all practical
purposes, the solution the president
has now sought the solution Of pub
fishing to The people OF the country
most AFFECTED statement OF a ueu-
raj and impartial view OF the is
sues involved, is the method which
the league OF nations when con-
stituted viii undertake
Now If Italy 81 the italian people,
accept the president and reject their
own statements IL they agree to
abandon Dalmatia and consent 10 the
erection OF a free port in-Fiume. Nr.
wilson and his associates VIII have
achieved a shining victory. not mere
" for immediate justice in the case
Of Jugo-Slavs, but for the whole
cause Of the league Of nations fl the
world
A Test Of Moral Force
On the other hand. II the italian
people rally TO their leaders instead
Of 20 the president. If they refuse TO
accept the advice OF the president 10
surrender Dalmatia and Fiume then
not only viii the president have SUI
Tered reverse in honorable battle
Tor the rights Of the small people in
accordance with his Il points. but the
cause OF the league OF nations itself
VIII have suffered a disastrous re-
verse, since d. viii be demonstrated
how weak. after all moral force is
In the presence Of national ambition
and patriotic emotion
Nor viii the consequences end here,
for II Italy now succeeds not primar-
ily in obtaining the sanction Of the
world to possession Of what she
eovets, but II she succeeds in retain
ing possession. since she now holds
Plume and the DalmatiaD coast. re-
action in France and elsewhere on
the continent VIII be immediate and
profound
For example. nothing Is more like /
ly than that the French legislature I
perceiving that italy has had her way
in matters OF less vital Importance
20 her than certain disputed Ques-
tons were to France, viii reject the I
present treaty OF peace as inimiczl I
70 French interests
May Cause Dissemination
Again. II italy IS permitted as q
consequence OF the present fight 10 I
mold permanently Dalmatia and Fiume /
without international restrictions, or I
the league Of nations conditions, the
whole French nation is likely 60 feel
its possession Of the Saar coal region \
should not be subjected TO all the /
limitations Of war breeding conditions /
which she has accepted Even more
emphatic viii be the ourburzt in I
Poland. and the Polish people viii
demand for themselves that posses
sion Of D2ntziE, which is q matter OF
life and death 70 them on terms
under which Italv has obtained and i
holds possession OF Fiume and Of Dali
malta which are, after ali, relatively
minor circumstances in Italian
geography military OF economic
In the case Of France, her claim
20 compensation for the destruction
o. the coal region OF the north was
made by the bestowal upon France OF
the title 10 the coal lands Of the Saar
and the occupation Of territory under
the most intricate and complicated
restrictions. which. IN fact made the
French possession turn upon the
vitality OF the league Of nations.
Many Compromises Made.
Similar compromises have been
made all over Europe, and each one
of them is entirely contingent upon
he power behind the league Of ma