The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-06-19
By FRANK III. suMoNDs.

sdry OF tWOIOld siBnlHcdn nee. Oh
June IS, 1914, the Archduke Ferdi-
nand and his consort were slain in
Sarajevo. On the same day five
years later. the German representa-
tiyes signed in the hall of mirrors
at Versailles that treaty which off,
cially marked the close Of the Ger
man phase of the world war. Two
years have passed since the latter
event and as a new anniversary ap-
proachess it seems a fitting time to
review in some detail the history Of
what may well be regarded as the
final phase Of the latest of Euro
pean settlements.
On June 2s, when the Germans
signed the document which re-
ceived their unwilling signatures
did little more than sketch the
bases Of the real settlement. The
frontiers of Germany were fixed,
east and west, north and south. Mil
itary terms were laid down to carry
out the disarmament of the German
military establishment and regulate
its future strength. The demilitari-
zation of the Rhine and the neutra-
lizing Of the left bank were provid-
ed for. But beyond these major
conditions all was left incomplete,
and most incomplete of all were the
provisions made for the discharge
by Germany of the great debt in
Cured by her methods of warfare.
Europe Left In Chaos.
Aside from the German phase,
moreover. Europe was left in chaos.
On June 2S. 1919. no eastern from
tier had been fixed for Poland or
for Runlania. Order in the west
melted into anarchy and chaos in
the east with no determined boun-
daries The middle of Europe was
a hopeless confusion of rival states,
fragments of the recently de-
stroyed Hapsburg empire. the Bal
kans were in their chronic state Of
unrest, intensified by nearly seven
Years Of almost uninterrupted fight
ing. Italy and the Southern Saws
were at daggers drawn at the head
of the Adriatic. Rumania and Hun
gary were on the verge of war
along the Hheiss. Italy and Greece
were QudTTtlAlh6 III NhS nv $500
and in Albania.
Over the whole world at this same
date hung the shadow OF Russia
Bolshevism had been the nightmare
OF the Paris conference. panic after
panic had assailed the Paris gather
ings. as news flowed from the east.
which seemed to forecast the arri-
val OF the Reds, already come to
Budapest. in Berlin, in Bucharest,
in Warsaw. Nor was the apprehen-
sion as to Germany materially less
The Versailles Treaty had been
drafted by those on whom the men,
ace of Germany still weighed heav-
lily. and If Paris dreaded a new ex-
tension of the Russian revolution.
II feared almost as acuteIy some
new and terrible outbreak in Ger
many. which mi ht recall the armies
to the battlefield and challenge the
results of the armistice OF Rethon-
des.
Safe from Germany.
Now, two years after. when one
comes to reconstruct. even to
slight degree. the emotions and the
conditions of 1919. il becomes clear
what an enormous step has been
taken toward settlement If Ger
many remains and must in the ma
ture Of things continue to remain
problem and a menace. il is no long
er possible for reasonable men and
women TO look for an immediate
German uprising. a return of the
Kaiser or of the military leaders
and a renewal Of the war. On the
German side we can now safely
count upon a span Of years in which
the world will be safe from any
German design.
, Nor is it less clear that Bolshe-
vism. anarchy or revolution in Ger
many have become remote pOssibiI-
tiles Order OF a sort has emerged
from the chaos which followed the
collapse of November. 1918, and led
TO the revolutions Of the following
year. Germany has gone back to
WORK The consequence of defeat
abroad and domestic uprising a,
nome have not been entirely dissi-
pated. can hardly be eliminated for
decades to come, but the primary
peril, the prospect of a Red Ger
many associated with a Red Russia
has vanished.
Royalty May Return,
That the republican experiment in
Germany has been a brilliant suc-
cess or even a tolerable expedient
can hardly be maintained. That
tnere may be A reaction to Soma
nonarchial form in the future not
distant seems highly probable. Ger
man incapacity for self-goyernnent
q the sort England. France and
inc United States have deveJoned
mas been disclosed in striking fssb-
lh' BUT one is still safe in the
conclusion that Germany is unIil, CIV
70 return to the old order ara 80,
3 sne Is far less likely to follow the
Russian example. INC
Even more heartening has baa,
the russian development Aftar t,va
years the press of the world re-
ceased TO reflect apprehensions Of q
ne" Bolshevist offensive. The raIIv
OF the Poles under the wall. :,
warsaw has proven as fatal to tbs
imperialistic purposes OF the Reds
as the battle of Sobieski under tbo
shaooW Of Vienna was for tho Turl.-
Ism invasion a few centuries .oo
Ii the Reds have succeeded in over
coming Wrangel and thus destrov-
ing the last domestic threat to their
regime, they have by the treaty. of
Riga accepted frontiers which
throw them back vast distances
from the lines they occupied two
years ago.
And this is not all. II one has