The Irish standard., 1920-05-15
Champion of "Oreanized
Insincerity"

ized or potential. which will govern
the future-Russia, Japan, Germany,
United States, Great Britain, France.
II the omens now point to new mill
tary reorganization Of the world in.
stead of the peace organization that
we had hoped for, the fact is due, not
to NJ. Clemenceau, but to Mr.. Lloyd
George. It was natural that M. Glenn
enceau should work for peace Of
vengeance. It was made, and it is
proving Immediately unrealizable, but
1t was natural, and even forgivable.
1t was our business to protect France
from its own folly and to back the
Wilson peace. Instead, Mr.. George
backed the Clemenceau peace against
the President, and of course, won. II
the object was to defeat the President,
who had become the moral leader Of
the world. the object was very thor
oughly attained. But the price is high,
and the bill will have to be paid, not
today only or tomorrow, but for gen.
erations.
Take only that item of Anglo-Amer-
lean relations. We ought to have had
the United States by our side today,
redeeming the wreckage Of Europe and
leading the world into the path that
President Wilson had sketched for It,.
Instead, the two countries have lost
touch, and are going separate ways, to
what ultimate goal who can say? But
when we think of American opinion in
relation to Ireland and Japan and our
own attitude to those countries we
have only too much reason for dis
quiet. The greatest chance that ever
came within the grasp Of statesman
ship came to Mr.. George in December,
1918. He might by loyal support Of
President Wilson have made an Anglo
American understanding the corner
stone of new world order. He took
instead a "stunt" election and from it
fashioned the shameless treaty which
has completed the ruin of Europe and
is now falling to bits amidst the deri-
sion even of its authors.
It is the supreme example of states
manship working without principle
and without vision. It cannot even
be said that Mr.. George had the plea
of expediency for much that he did.
He was not even making "a good
DEAL" which is the most respectable
claim that can be made in connection
with his hand-to-mouth methods. 1t
was not ignorance that was to blame.
That was gross enough. 1t was SO
gross that it could boast in the House
Of Commons that it had never heard
Of Teschen, which was like saying It
had never heard of the South Wales
coal field. It was so gross that It is
understood to have been unable to
discriminate between Silesia and
Cilicia.
But ignorance is relative. We are
all ignorant, and access to facts is
easy. The failure was due to some
thing deeper. It was the product Of a
craftsmanship whose hold Of prin-
ciples was always casual and con-
temptuous and has long since ceased
to be hold at all. Politics in Mr..
Georges hands has become mere
system of bargaining, in connection
with which principles play as little
part as they do in the bargains of the
stock exchange. 1t is for this reason
that his settlements are always so
shadowy and indeterminate. They
seem final and satisfactory when they
are made and sham when they are
put into working. This common char
acteristic of his settlements with labor
is at the root of the incessant disturb
ance in the industrial world and of the
abiding distrust of the man which has
become the universal sentiment Of
labor.
! 1t is the same scorn of principle
which has aggravated the situation in
Ireland. Every proposal that eman-
ates from such a source is discounted
beforehand both in Ireland and Amer
lea. 1t is assumed to be put up Job"
between Mr.. George and Sir Edward
Carson. That is obviously the case in
connection with the jest which is to
be played next week. No one takes 1t
seriously. Everyone knows that it is
simply dodge for getting the home