Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-01-12

In suitable manner their appreciation
Of tho service which 10 being rem
dered them.
PEACE AN ACCOMPLISHED FACT.
Through the ceremonies at Yer
sadlles yesterday peace Between Ger
many and thirteen Of tho nations
which have been actively or tschnic-
ally at wal with her has become an
accomplished fact. Between those
other nations and Germany the or
binary relations OF peaceful inter-
course win now be resuIped as rapidly
rs the details for such work can be-
carried out. Tho conclusion OF peace
carries with It the formal creation Of
tho League OF Nations, and It ID an
nounced that the first meeting Of the
council Of that body will be held on
January fs.
It 10 most distinctly a matter for
regret that the United States. which
was such an important factor In the
war, and on whose initiative the
framing Of the League of Nations was
undertaken, is tho only one of the
great powers not 10 participate either
In tho actual conclusion Of peace or
In the Arst meeting OF the league.
The situation il one which does not
enhance American prestige abroad.
and which must lead to some feeling Of
humiliation Ut home. There. has been
q disposition In certain circles in the
United States to assume the attitude
that because Of some mysterious and
inherent superiority of n we are
able to get along without the rest of
the world. The corresponding attitude
abroad, and ono to which Is certain
to be generated in some measure. is
along without US: Both positions are
unsound. Both statements are false.
With or without a written compact,
we are part and parcel Of the world
and Its affairs, and are vitality inter-
ested in the acts Of all our neighbors,
aloofness, therefore-and it cannot be
more than temporary-from the most
important work in which the world
at large a be engaged, tends to
weaken the whole Observation-Disclosures
ture, and to impede the completion Of
work which the events Of the war has
made necessary and urgent. This con-
ditton has not been unavoidable. 1t
Is the result, in part. and in varying
proportions, Of personal ineptitude
and st~ubbornness, OF exaggerated
conceptions Of partisanship, of per-
sonal ambitions, and Of a good many
other things which have no proper
place In the consideration OF great
questions, national or international.
In spite II the fact that peace has
formally been concluded, normal re-
lations have by no means been re-
stored. Sentiments and. emotions
cannot be changed in a moment, or
by the writing Of words on paper.
And the very souls Of men have
been wrung by the events Of this war,
for which Germany has most right
fully been held responsible. 1t will
take time for the emotions which
have been stirred 10 subside. Further
more, the position of Germany, in
stead, Of being fully that of. an inde-
pendent sovereign nation Is. and must
remain FOR some years, that of a
state under guardianship. Germany
has accepted responsibility for the
war. She has agreed t certain con-
ditions as the price Of peace. She has
given guarantees fer the carrying out
OF her promises. In fuIfllment Of
these conditions she must turn over,
year by year, for many years, money
or other valuable property. She must
acqulesce IN the presence In several
sections OF territory formerly hers OF
foreign soldiers who will be in com
piete charge while the people Of those
sections determine for themselves
their future nationality. And she
must endure for a long time the oc-
cupat1on OF other portions Of her
territory by other foreign troops
whose presence is intended to insure
her good behavior.
Peace has been a long time coming.
Fourteen months have elapsed since
Germany confessed her defeat and
agreed to the armhttce terms. But
the peace commissioners during those
fourteen months have had to grapple
with problems more complex than
ever before were presented to any
body OF men in the world. And, II
the peace which has been reached
proves . permanent one, and IL ont OF
1t grow new and better conceptions
OF international relations, the time