Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-01-14
Doubtful Peace.

Doubtful Peace.
There is no great joy over the ac-
tive ratification of the peace treaty
in England and France. London
papers are distinctly doleful and ex-
press grave doubts as to the reality
Of the peace. They do not overlook
the possibilities of trouble that might
arise out of almost every one Of the
terms Of the treaty if the nations
concerned were disposed to make it.
and they are unanimous in recogniz-
ing the greatly diminished potentiali-
ties Of the League of Nations without
the United States. Indeed. they Won
. der whether they can without her
assume to regulate the affairs OF
Europe at all.
Marshal Foch. always the soldier
and the watchful guardian of the
peace Of his beloved France. is not
ready to discard preparedness as a
national policy.
THE lesson which France and the
world should draw from the war is
tho lesson Of prudence" the marshal
said. with the best wish in the
world. war 10 not always avoidable.
II can break on the frontiers Of the
most pacific people-perhaps mos.
easily On those frontiers. It would
be fatal to believe that one will not
have to fight because ono docs not
wish TO fight. II It needs two for a
fight, one alone is enough to be
beaten"
With Foch, discretion is the better
part Of valor. He does not wish to
foster a militaristic spirit in France.
but he is wary Of the old foe and
does not intend for France to be
caught mapping.
Have all the dreams Of a year ago
faded into thin air? Must the world
still go on IN the old way. by the law
of tooth and nail? If so. whose is
tl0 OLAA1NSs S0A HIGH NV SCk ~ uSS
each other, Or rather. can men never
again trust each other? Do men
want to fight just for the sake of con-
quest? Is the conscience Of the
world hardened rather than melted
by the fires Of the five years war?
These are deep questions to which
the answer is hidden in the pages o.
unwritten history.
It was only human for the national
sentiments Of the peace conference
members to express themselves in
the attempt to gain all the advantage
possible for their home nations. 1t
territories were to be given away
they wanted to get as much as possi-
BILE. Perhaps in the excitement and
heat of the sessions some of them
made rash statements that they
would fight for what they wanted,
and some Of them actually have en-
gagged in border warfare. But this
too, is only natural. After a period
of fighting the spirit is in the air.
electrifying those who are ardent in
temperament and quick to act.
Now that the cooling hand Of time
has passed over the heated brows Of
the ambitious peoples some Of them
are not so eager for another war as
they were a year ago, or even six
months ago. The Jugo-Slavs for in
stance, have been represented as
ready for war to the death over
Fiume. On the contrary they are
now much more concerned with re-
pairing the ravages Of the war just
past ana getting to work to clothe
and feed themselves. For the aver
ago Jugo-Slav. F1ume has hardly
moro than an academic interest.
May It be possible that time win
soften other violent national aspira-
lions and by bringing into it's true
perspective the awfulness Of the late
war, do what no legislation can be
made to do toward lessening the pos
sibility Of its recurrence?