New-York tribune., 1920-01-11
Should There Be a Second Conference in Pari
What Might Happen If the Ma
tons Again Should Gather
Around the Council Board

panded by the recent Allied success,
that clamored to be heard and in
sisted upon claims, again diverging
from those Of the Western allies
and their Eastern enemies and mu-
tually unacceptable. Finally, there
was Russia, a peril, an enigma, un-
represented and yet, unmistakably, a
tremendous factor in the situation.
The National Aims
Given this situation, what were
the national aims Of the more con-
siderable nations? The British had
seen one more Of their rivals over
thrown, as Holland, Spain and
France had been overthrown in the
past. The German colonies were in
their hands, the German fleet in
their war harbor. The German mer-
chant fleet was almost entirely in AL
lied hands, destined in large part to
fall to the British. So far as material
things were concerned, they had been
more Immediately and completely
successful than they had ever been
in their historic duels with Spain
and France.
What they desired, therefore, was
plain. The war had raised the
United States to commanding
place in the world which it was
bound to retain for many years-if
not for all time. A quarrel with
this newly revealed and mighty force
was unthinkable; but this was not
enough: the British statesmen and
people alike looked to the peace con-
ference to provide a partnership be-
tween the two. Anglo-Saxon nations
which should eliminate all shades of
rivalry, insure combined world su-
premacy and enlist American aid in
the administration Of waste places
OF the earth which were beyond Brit
ish resources to administer.
One had only to be in London last
January to feel the strength of the
tide that was running toward Anglo
American partnership. 1t was by no
means purely selfish or primarily
designing; it had roots in idealism
quite as plainly as in national inter-
est. But. from both sides the same
purpose was proclaimed. President
Wilson was welcomed as the
prophet Of this new brotherhood far
more enthusiastically than as the
protagonist Of league of nations,
which found only scattered supportin
London. Lloyd George went to Paris
determined to bring about the actual
formulation of articles of partner
ship, following the uninterrupted ex
perlence of mutual cooperation. In a
word, his policy was to "show" Amer
ica that British support was assured.
British sympathy and understanding
for American purposes certain.
A year ago this week London was
talking Of Anglo-American associa-
ton as earnestly as it had ever
talked Of imperial federation. But
in talking about it London, all Brit
ain, was not thinking Of an associa-
tion of all the nations Of the earth.
OF Germany quite as much as
France, in this new firm, but Of an
Anglo-American association, with a
French participation, not by any
means on the basis Of a full partner.
What France Wanted
When you crossed the Channel
i. you found France thinking of sonne-
thing totally different. The French
were thinking Of a Franco-American
association which should insure
American aid in collecting from
Germany that reparation to which
France was entitled and without
which she was ruined, and, in addi-
ton, that American guaranty Of
the new frontier which would mean
the speedy coming Of American
troops to the Rhine if Germany
tried again. Back Of this was nat
ural French desire for all American
financial aid which was available.
The French were quite willing
even eager, that the British should
be full partners in this new asso-
citation, but their conception Of a
league Of nations was three-sided
coalition, an old-fashioned alliance
with q new styled title to restore
the balance Of power on the Con-
tinent, to protect France against
financial ruin in the present and
military attack in the future. The
league Of nations meant this to
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