New-York tribune., 1920-10-12


the decisions are made the Allied
and associated powers guarantee to
maintain them. 1t is perfectly evi-
dent, upon a moments reflection. that
the chief burden of their mainten-
ance will fall upon the greater
powers. The chief burden Of the war
fell upon the greater powers. and if
1t had not been for their action,
their military action, we would not
be here to settle these questions
And, therefore, we must not close
our eyes to the fact that in the last
analysis the military and naval
strength Of the great powers will be
the final guaranty Of the peace of
the world.
Position Of Powers Defended
ain those circumstances Is it I'M
reasonable and unjust that not as
djctators but as friends the great
ates: we cannot afford to guarantee
territorial settlements which we do
not believe to be right, and we cam
not agree to leave elements OF dis
turbance unremoved which we be-
lieve will disturb the peace of the
world?
"Take the rights of minorities.
Nothing, l venture to cay, is more
likely to disturb the peace of the
world than the treatment which
might in certain circumstances be
meted out to minorities. And there
fore If the great powers are TO
guarantee the peace of the world IN
any sense, is it unjust that they
should be satisfied that the proper
and necessary guarantees have been
given?
az beg your friends from Rumanisa
and from Serbia to remember that
while Rumania and Serbia are an
cient sovereignties, the settlements
of this conference are greatly adding
to their territories. You cannot in
one part of our transactions treat
Serbia alone and in all of the other
parts treat the kingdom Of the Serbs,
the Croats and the Slovenes as
different entity. for they are seeking
the RECOGNITION of this conference
as single entity, and if this con
ference is going to recognize these
various powers as new soyerclgntles
within definite territories tho chief
guarantors are entitled to be salts
fed that the territorial settlements
are of character to be permanent,
and that the guarantees given are OF
q character to insure the peace OF
the world.
at is not. therefore, the interven-
tions of those who would interfere.
but the action of those who would
help. beg that our friends Will
take that view of it, because | see
no escape from that view Of 1t.
Army and Navy Pledged
muow ca7, mower like the United
States. for examp ple-for can speak
for no other-after signing this
treaty, if it contains elements which
thev do not believe will be per
nanent, 20 three thousand miles
away across the sea and report to
it's people that it has made set
tlonent Of the peace Of the world?
It cannot do So And yet there
underlies all of these transactions
the expectation the part, for eX-
ample of Rum MIA and Of CzecAo-
Slovakia, and Of Serbia, that if any
covenants Of this settlement are not
observed the United States Will
send her armies and her navies to
see that they are observed.
I'm those circumstances. IS 1t un-
reasonable that the United States
should insist upon being satisfied
tNAL tnC ScJlitUlcINS al ( tOA iCNt
Observe Mr.. Bratiano-and | speak
Of his suggestions with the utmost
respect suggested that we could
not, so to say, invade the sover-
eighty of R0mania. an ancient
sovereigrty, and make certain pre-
scriptons with regard to the rights
of mnorities But l beg him to OBJ
serve that he is overlooking the
fact that he is asking the sanction
Of the Allied and Associated Powers
for great additions Of territory
VII ch come to Rulnania by the com
mon victory Of arms, and that,
therefore, we are entitled to say:
IF we agree to these additions of
territory we have the right to in
sist upon certain guarantees Of peace.
81 beg my friend Mr. Kramer,
and my friend MI. Trumbic, and
my friend Mr.. BrStiano to believe
that if we should feel that it is
best to leave the words which they
have wished to omit in the treaty
it is not because we want to in
sist upon unreasonable conditions,
but tat we want the treaty to ac-
cord to us the right Of judgment
as to whether these arc things which
we can afford to guarantee.
Definite Understanding Essential
"Therefore, the impressions which
we should disperse ought to be
these, that we are ali friends
of course, that goes without saying
but that we must all be asso-
ciates in common effort, and
there can be no frank and earnest
association in the common effort
unless there is q common agree
ment as TO what the rights and
settlements are.
Now if the agreement is g
separate agreement among groups
of us, that does not meet the OBJ
ject. If you should adopt the Ian
guage suggested by the Czecho-
Slovakian delegates and the Serbian
gation-the 'ugo- -Slovak dele
gation-that it .hould be left to
regulations between the principal
Allied and Aeso lated Powers and
their several delegates, that would
mean that after this whole conference
is adjourned groups Of them would
determine what is to be the basis of
the peace of the world. 1t seems to mo
that that would be dangerous
idea to entertain, and therefore
beg that we may part with sense
not Of interference with each other,
but Of hearty and friendly CO.
operation upon thu only possible
basis OF guaranty. Where the
great force lies, there must be the
sanction of peace.
~ sometimes wish, in hearing an
argument like this. hat l were the
representative of a small power, so
that what | said might be robbed of
any mistaken significance, but l