Evening star., 1921-04-14
BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.


BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1921.
PARIS, France, April 14.-Follow-
ing declarations to Rene Viviani by
members of the foreign relations
committee of the Senate that the
United States will never ratify the
treaty of Versailles or join the league
of nations, the Paris office of the
Daily News has endeavored to ascer-
tain what effect the formal adoption
of this policy of isolation would have
on public opinion in Britain. Germany
and France. respectively. Edward
Price Bell wires from London:
British opinion recognizes. as
matter of course. that the United
States has full right to make a sep
arate peace with Germany and to do
precisely what it pleaseS relative to
the league of nations. Just as the
BritonS demand a free hand in franz
ing their own national and imperial
policy, so they desire to allow SINH
lar liberty to other nations. There
is no substantial support here for the
idea of a superstate. Britons, like
league of nations as an association
of sovereign powers. cooperating
voluntarily and in the exercise OF
their sovereignty to achieve inter-
national harmony and permanent
peace. OF course. if the United States
made with Germany peace prejudi-
cial to the interests of the allies and
inimical to the purposes for which
the war was fought. British opinion
would be outraged, but all sensible
persons here regard this hypothesis
as Incredible. 1 find in the best minds
in Britain a steadfaSt faith that in
the end American views concerning
80 ;~ko fna
work on behalf of civilization will
be found to coincide with those held
in Britain"
German Opinion.
THE public in Germany" George
Witte telegraphs from Berlin. would
see in a separate peace the virtual
end of the league. of nations and
the beginning Of an American for
eign policy, particularly as to Euro
tirely new course. The German
newspapers rejoice over what they
call the failure of the Viviani mis-
sion. interpreting it as the first
freak in Franco American friend
from the United States as soon as
the state Of war should be formally
ended, until the recent note sent by
Secretary of State Hughes put a
damper on their hopes.
"A
pie are optimistic that the United
States will bring pressure to bear
on France to adopt more moderate
measures in carrying out the new
sanctions. Germany is waiting for a
chance to restore diplomatic rela,
will be glad to accept any kind of
an invitation from President Hard
ing to lay her case before the Amer
lean public. She will also be glad
to apply for membership in any new
league backed by the United States"
France Fears Results.
AS for French opinion, it is more
interested in the treaty of Versailles
than in the league of nations. The
French feel that II the United States
makes a separate peace with Ger
many. no matter how much 1t may
be camoufiaged with expressions of
sympathy for the allies. it will serve
only to strengthen German resistance
to the treaty of Versailles and at the
same time reinforce morally all the
factions Of disorder and rebellion in
Europe.
Undoubtedly the adoption Of the
Knox resolution would cause pro-
found bitterness If, however, the
United States should find means to
ratify the treaty. but without the
league covenant. France would be
relatively satisfied. 1t is true that
most Frenchmen want the United
States to join the league of nations;
it is equally true that the French
government considers the dissolution
of the present league impossible, as
it would lead to an unacceptable re-
vision of the treaty itself. However,
there is one school OF hard-headed
diplomats here who desire to reduce
the league to a mere mechanism for
the enforcement of the treaty.
These diplomats fear that if the