El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-12

, Lord Robert Cecil in England has
| pointed out this salient fact In a
| recent protest against Ignoring the
] league. But his protest has fallen
upon deaf ears all over the world
! We are now to have the first direct
! conference between the Germans and
] their recent enemies. but this con-
! ference will not have the remotesi
relation TO the league OF nations. In
/ stead IL will be quite like the con-
| ference Of London in 1912, follow
] ing the first Balkan war or the
] conference Sir Edward Grey sought
vainly to arrange between the great
powers to prevent the world war.
League Ignored by Europe.
| Our associates were willing TO &C
/ cept a league OF nations provided
such acceptance insured American
participation in world affairs and
specific American guarantees OF the
world order created at Versailles.
But every separate action OF the
United States senate has indicated
the determination on the part OF
America 70 avoid specific guarantees
and to refuse entangling commit
ments. AS a consequence. the league
Of nations has been ignored by
Europe, as Il has SO far been re-
jected by America
Moreover. with the withdrawal OF
America the tendency has been IN
mistakably toward a lessening OF the
ties which bind France. Italy and
essarily has its own national inter
ests and purposes and these are by
no means Identical with those Of any
other. Indeed, italian interests are
in fact far more closely bound up
with these Of Germany than OF
France, and Italy eagerly advocates
any proposal which would hasten the
rehabilitation Of Germany, however,
distasteful to France.
In reality the American procedure
in the matter Of the league Of ma
lions has very strikingly paralIeled
that OF Britain under the leadership
Of Castelrsagh toward the holy
alliance a century ago Moreover.
this British course in the end
doomed the earlier effort at world
regulation British partnership them
was just as essential as American
now, and Britain would not consent
10 guarantee the permanence Of such
conditions as those which existed in
Italy, for example, as a consequences
OF the decisions OF the congress OF
Vienna
Result Is Clear.
The result, then, seems 70 me TO
be Enthusiastically clear Indication OF
what is 10 come now. No general
war disturbed Europe for a full gen
GRAFTON after Waterloo, but one by
one the settlements Of Vienna were
modified France escaped from the
Bourbons. Belgium from the Dutch
yoke, Italy began the task Of unifica-
tion. which was only completed when
Austria collapsed less than two years
ago
For a certain period Of time the
continental powers endeavored to
preserve first the fact and then the
fiction Of the holy alliance, but the
thing was impossible and presently
the allies themselves were separated
by a wide gulf. Britain Joined France
in war upon Russia. Prussia at
tackled Austria in alliance with an
Italy united in the face Of the whole
Metternich policy laid down at
Vienna
League sure to CrumbIe.
That the league Of nations win
now crumble, as did the holy al
lance, seems TO me inevitable. Its
single chance-and IL does not seem
to me 70 have been a real chance
lay in its immediate and well nigh
unanimous adoption by the United
States. This would have created an
international directorate Of world az
fairs, in fact an Anglo-Amerfcan
hegemony OF the world. which might