The New York herald., 1921-06-26


decent country than could be concluded from
either the London press or the House OF
Commons" And therein he sees hope for
the future.
France he sees to be in an even more dan
gerous temper demanding a permanently
wrecked Germany, vast black armies for
France, armed allies always ready on Ger
many's eastern frontier, :" and de-
termination to rely upon force.
No one can possibly accuse Prof. Murray
of being, even in the most microscopic de-
gree, pro German" But he does not be-
lieve in the possibility, still less in the de-
STABILITY, of II permanently wrecked Ger
many" He considers her economic and So
ca rehabilitation necessary, and he is In
clned to think that much of the present
trouble is due to the fact that the peace
terms imposed upon her were. in fact,
peace of revenge" unduy onerous and
probably impossible of fulilment. He seeme
to think the present German Government
is honest in intent, and he obviously bases
his suggestion of future policy upon the be-
lief that the disease from which Germany
has suffered-end, many think. is still suf-
ferng-can better be cured by kindness than
by coercion. At that point there may be
room for honest differences of opinion, but
it must be admitted that there is no tenable
middle ground-either Germany must be
treated as rational, perhaps even contrite,
and willing to play fair in the future, ad-
mitted to the League of Nations and aided
toward sound rehabilitation, there must
be far greater coercion. even to the limit
of the most extreme demands of some
French irreconcilables. Extending these al
ternatves to ,over the troublous expanse Of
the world-Russia, India, Egypt, the
Balkans Asia Minor Ireland, the African
colonies-the notion of applying sufficient
brute force begins to look like reductio dd
dbsurdum Those of Prof Murrays school
of thought believe ii cannot be done; that
certainly not England alone, nor even
alliance of British American, French and
Italian forces. could adequately police the
world along such lines. There remains, then,
only the appeal to reason, to cooperation,
reciprocal concession and agreement rather
than limitess war
Looking at things as they unhappiy are,
Prof Murray asks: rs 1t not certain
that treaty of such a character. imposed
on conquered nation by force if not also
by treachery, will, as a matter of course
be broken as soon as there is a
favorable opportunity? OF course the Ger
mans will break it if they can; and of course
they will make another war" His solution
of the problem thus raised is the amplifica-
ton and strengthening of the League of
Nations which he, of course, admits is not
sufficiently effective in the absence of
America.
Although Prof. Murray raises the point
specifically only in the case OF the Eastern
peoples, it is an obvious fact that the actions
of all peoples to-day, without exception. are
based chiefly upon fear in international mat
ters No one. not even the United States.
is free from this. and in many nations il
is, naturally enough, the dominant motive
force 1t is. indeed, hard to conceive how
outraged France could be expected to rise
above it. Even we. who are practically un-
touched. are not blind to the spectres of
future war and are uneasy bent upon keep
ing the sword sharpened, ready for use.
This fear motive, Prof. Murray thinks. is
especially operative in the minds of the East
and in the Mohammedan world The prob
lem of our Eastern policy" he says, "is to re-
move that fear" And. somewhat curiousy
he does not think that very difficult. THE
essential fact" he argues. lis that the East
needs us far more than we need the East
They ought to want us and II left
alone they would want us We have fright
cned them into fighting and hating us by
forcing ourselves upon them instead Of wait
ing TO be asked. We came to them
with machine guns and they found
il difficult to believe in our good intentions
We came to them, most unfortunately. also
with specious promises. which we made In
time of need and broke in the days OF vic
tory" He makes a bitter arraignment OF
British policies in Mesopotamia, Egypt and
India but none the less sees hope OF future
amicable arrangement. The attitude is that
the white mans burden" exists and must
be borne but that II needs a good deal OF
reconstruction both TO its substance and
the manner Of bearing IL.
Returning 10 his central theme, Prof.
Murray says: "The League Of Nations is In
a position to say TO France: You are afraid
Of another attack by Germany; 10 avert
that danger you propose In various ways to
follow a policy which will plunge Europe
into continued distress. We hereby guaran-
tee you against attack The league
says to Germany wherever you have
been subjected TO definitely unjust or dan
gerous condition we offer you a remedy"
The natural reply OF France to srch an
offer is obvious. nor is Germany likely to
be any more convinced. Indeed Prof Muir
ray admits that "at present neither party
quite believes this guarantee II they did.
II would probably be enough for them"
The manifest duty Of nations we'll disposed
toward real peace he would hold. is thus
plain. make the league truly efficient. And
as TO the principle Of that. there will not be
many dissenting voices anywhere In the
English speaking world though the practi-
cal difficulties still remain to be solved.
Assuredly. Prof. Murray's advice is perti-
nent. as a starting point toward real solu-
tions when he says: "1f Europe is to be saved
from new great wars. the Powers OF the
league must first Of all be sincere in their
undertakings. and next. they must convince
the world IN general Of their sincerity"
To the bringing about of this result there
exist only the instruments Of education