New-York tribune., 1920-03-14

CaCl0n. 1ney ASKED tho dnlHe Ddf
rier and then, having abandoned tn
Rhine barrier In return for . prom
ised alliance, they discover Americ
will not agree to the alliance an
that British agreement was contin
gent upon American.
French Worries
Above all, they sec the British in
f1uence now being exerted to bring
about an economic revival in Ger
many. while French industries ar
still paralyzed as a result Of Ger
man devastations. They see Ital,
frankly supporting British policy IL
Germany for the solo and singl.
purpose Of presently finding in Ger
many an ally against France In re-
venge for the failure Of France te
support italian claims in the Adri
attic, q failure due to French submis
sion 70 the Anglo-Saxon policies
Thsy find equal hostility In Ruma-
mia for exactly the same reason. As
to Russia. they find that their recent
ailies are supporting Russia against
Poland and planning a Russian re-
vival without the least regard for
the billions which Russia owes
France.
Now It comes down to this. The
British In their heart Of hearts feel
that America has deserted them
after having taken the first steps to
incorporate the Anglo-Saxon part
nershir. Still, the value Of the as
sociation Is so patent that Britain
will continue to seek an ultimate ar
rangement. But meantime Ameri-
can failure has greatly embarrassed
the British, who can only a.~ord to
entirely neglect the Continent if they
are assured of the American part
nership. As 1t stands, the British
cannot permanently escape coming
down on one side or the other of
new European alliances. They may
go with the Germans and the Ital
ians or with the French and the
Poles, but they cannot permanently
hold their present position, which
amounts to the position of an ar
bitter.
World Masters
Thus It must be quite clear what
will be the effect Of an American
decision to return to Europe. In
stantly British policy will be re-
established in the shape Of the An
glo-Saxon partnership. Speaking
with US, not impossibly for us. the
British will be able to clothe their
policies with authority. We and
the British together will be the mas
ters Of the world, for a certain time
at least.
But there Is an obvious danger.
Sooner or later the Continent NAV
begin to develop its own system. The
French may stand long with the
Anglo-Saxons, but every other nation
on the Continent will unquestionablv
ind ultimate or immediate cause for
hostility. So far the Anglo-Ameri-
can course at Paris has earned for
Doth nations, and for the United
States particularly, the hostility Of
all our old enemies, who see the
treaty OF peace as an Anglo-Saxon
document destroying the German
rival, and Of the Poles, the Ruma-
mans, the Greeks, not to mention
the Russians, Bolshevist and Czarist
alike. 1t has profoundly wounded
the French, whose necessities comneI
submission but do not contribute to
A coalition Of the Continent against
the Anglo-Saxon partnership is bv
no means unlikely, or improbable. !.
# the United States shall now io,n
With the British in the realization
'f what was actually the second
policy Of the United States Senate
Thus, so far from bringing about
peace and a league, we may bring
about new rivalry, a new system of
alliances, another war.
Many Americans have a simn,e .
'aith that If only the Senate ratifes .
he treaty OF peace the European 8
complications will disappear. But !
his is due to tho fact that the Euro ,
'ean complications are very little =
Understood in tho United States. Ac- =
ually Europe is moving toward a y
lew state Of balance. In truth the 1;
european nations are beginning to