New-York tribune., 1920-03-14
A Fresh Crop of Jealousies Has
Followed the Close of the
Paris Conference
By Frank Fl. Sirnonds

By Frank II. Simonds
"HERE Is perhaps no belts
evidence of the underlyin
- peril Of the United State
In European commitment
than that which is supplied by tn
present tangle Of European policie.
Partly - = consequence Of tn
course Of the United States Senat
In delaying action on the treaty, bu
Tar more as q result Of tho natura
developments Of European policy
the alliance which defeated Ger
many has collapsed. If French
italian and British statesmen con
ttnue to meet In London, 1t is non,
tho less true that their decision
have no longer any real weight be
hind them; they are unenforceabl,
and are not infrequently rejected b,
the people in whose names tn.
statesmen assume to speak.
It Is essential TO understand the
reason for this collapse. 1t Is moi
. collapse which would have beer
permanently or even long avoided Il
tho Senate had, with or even with.
out the proposed reservations, adopt.
I'd tho Treaty Of Versailles many
months ago. It is a collapse which
was tho inevitable consequence of
the lack Of police power to enforce
decisions which required police
power to enforce.
Conference Had No Power
Il ls idle to imagine that the mere
ratification Of the treaty would
change the anarchy in international
political relations, for the simple
reason that the anarchy grows out
Of the absence Of any real order.
Tho conference at Paris steadily lost
prestige and influence because it had
neither the wall nor the resources to
enforce its decisions It could and
did resolve upon war against the
Bolshev1sts, but discovered that It
had no armies with which to carry
OF, tho war, end therefore it's efforts
were restricted to vain proclama-
tons.
Quite in the same fashion the con-
ference issued orders to Rumania
and to Poland, endeavored to en-
forcs President Wilson's settlement
of the Adriatic question upon Italy,
but always there was nothing but a
written order. The Russians. the
Rumanians, the Poles, the Italians
could defy the conference, even an
adventurer like d'Annunzio, with a
handful Of soldiers, could challenge
al the great powers Of Europe with
1mpunity because the great powers.
acting together In framing doctrines
and policies, had no common armv
with which to carry out their de- !
eisions.
Now, In Paris there were at least
three conceptions Of the future
the American, that is, President WILL
sons. the British and the French
while to-day there are in Europe as
many policies as there are nations.
1t was the American view that the
principles presented by the Presi-
dent were Of q character to enlist
the peoples Of all nations and that
tho enlistment Of the peoples would
ooerce the governments. Mr.. Wilson
imagined that II the fourteen points
wsre made tho basis Of the peace
terms enemy and associate nations
would embrace them with equal en-
tnusaasm, peace would result and
the peace would be self-administer-
Ing.
II did not at first occur to the
President that practically every peo-
pie would reject the fourteen points
20 Tar as these affected their own
vital national interests. But this
proves the case. The British led
on by refusing to submit the cues
uon OF the freedom Of the seas, the
French followed suit by insisting
that they must be guaranteed secu-
x1sy against Germany, either by pos
session Of the Rhine barrier or bv
= treaty OF insurance. The Italians
continued the process by demanding
Tiume and the control Of the Adri-
attic. Rumania, Poland. Czecho-slo-
vak'a. Jugo-Slavia-in fact, all the
associated and liberated peoples
promptly fled their exception. n
tho operations Of the fonrtasn
pointA
America, Too
Indeed. the United States ttse,,
was among tho very first to Indicate
complete unwillingness to WELD
n matters Of the Monroe Doctrin.
n matters Of American concer, =.