New-York tribune., 1920-07-04
By Frank II. Sirnonds

lnCereSU In european affairs, III
~ world problems, has laneuished
to an extent unbelievable eighteen
months ago. The explanation is
found by various commentators in
widely different circumstances: in
the complexity Of the European tan
giles themselves, in the acute dones-
tic problems within the United
States, In the approach of national
election, which tends more and more
to focus American attention on po-
litical questions at home rather than
abroad, upon national rather than
International questions.
Yet beneath the contemporary
lack Of interest it is not t'ifsicult to
discover spblminal apprehension,
an unspoken but not less unmistak-
able anxiety as to the rgogress of
events across the water auti as to
American responsibilities and even
saore specifically America dangers,
$ the European chaos patiently
spreads and increases.
What IL the Solut;oss?
In nay own acquaintance, and in
the letters readers Of my articles
address to me, the same questions
occur again and again. Is there any
solution, any answe 20 the ever
spreading spirit of arrest? Is any
settlement possible, CT is Europe
drifting steadily toward that sort
# crash which must infallibly in
volve the United States and bring,
If rot Nv world war, at least
a world aaar ny, in certain respects
more 20 be feared?
To such interrogations there is,
Of course, no airect answer. The
prophets retired to their caves al
most four years ago Most Of them
disappeared before the World War
was six months OLD. and those who
fingered have supplied amusement
rather then wisdom Tor an audience
which with greater and greater inn
patience has Listened to their mis-
reading Of the future.
Yet there is one interesting basis
of Judgment as to the immediate fu-
ture and it is found in the mercst
cursory examination of the events
of just hundred years ago. Then
the world was just beginning to
awaken to the fact that promises as
beguilirg as those made before the
recent Paris Conference were, in
fact, as empty. The new order of
mankind, the new constitution Of in
ternational relations made at Vienna
a century ago, was just beginning
to crumble, as that at Versailles is
now coming down in obvious ruin.
Language the Same
If one should take the trouble
to examine the history Of the prom
ises made before the Congress of
+ Vienna, the program mapped out
and the very words used to describe
the miracle to be wrought at that
great international gathering, which
undertook to liquidate conflict
which had lasted more than twenty
years and extended from Moscow to
Madrid and from Calais to Acre,
he would find that the language was
little different from that written in
the press Of score Of nations when
the Paris Conference was about to
open.
He would find, too, that, follow
ing the Congress of Vienna, the great
powers which had conquered Napo-
leon undertook to perpetuate world
peace by guaranteeing Europe
against another French assault, as
the conference at Paris sought to
protect mankind from a new Ger
IS man assault. The same solemn de-
bates against admitting France to
the world conclave which have been
had over Germany to-day divided
men and nations and called forth in
Vulnerable discussions. Yet less than
five years after Napoleon's fall
France was admitted.
But the real collapse Of the Holy
Alliances was the consequence of the
impossibility of preserving any COM
mon purpose between the nations
which had conquered Napoleon. They
were united : in an alliance that
endured the test Of Napoleon's re,
turf from Elba, but after Water
loo, with Napoleon unmistakably
finished, each great power forthwith
yesuaed the pursuit Of its own in
gprcets. The rivalry between Aus
.-r.a and Prussia was unmistakable,
even in Vienna, and thereafter
marched inevitably toward the war
Of 1865.
The Old T.inc.TIn