Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-26
POSITION Of FRANCE
IS BLOW To FARLEY
BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

BY WILLIAM JENNlNUS bRAAN
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-The
mercury in the peace thermometer
has fallen considerably since Pre-
mier Brands speech.
1t may be only a natural reaction
from the high pitch of enthusiasm
stirred by the Hughes naval pro-
posal and it's immediate acceptance.
But the militarists are certainly a
little more active in Washington than
they were a few days ago; they are
beating the tom-toms. France Is be-
ing made their first line of defense,
but back of the line are all Of the
time-worn arguments in favor of
force as the final arbiter Of world
disputes.
It remains to be seen whether this
threatened revival of the brute
force idea will nullify the work done
earlier in the session. It is 1mpos-
sible that the spirit Of peace should
rule the sea and the spirit Of war
dominate the land. The same peo-
ple who control the navies control
the armies and they will not scrap
one if they intend to preserve the
other.
The question which France has
raised, therefore, may end for the
present the worlds dream of peace
unless the question Of ornaments
can be settled in accordance with
the naval program. No one fails to
recognize Frances peril if war
should be renewed, but the question
is, how can future wars be prevent
ed?
BY military preparedness that can
only be planned and supported on
the theory that war is to be expect
ed, or by the generating Of dis.
position as Secretary Hughes puts
it, that will afford greater protec-
ton than armies?
Premier BRAND pointed out the
possibilities of attack from Ger
many, but possibilities do not fur
nish a basis of action.
All things are possible; we act on
probabilities rather than on posi-
bilities.
Is a renewal of the war sufficient
ly proba BILE to justify state of pre-
paredness on the part of France?
If so, the state of preparedness must
extend to the other countries upon
whom she expects to rely because
France alone could hardly hope to
Withstand an invasion from Ger
many. The last war proved that
quite conclusively. Must the whole
of Europe remain an armed camp?
Germany denies that she, has any
thought of aggression. Why not
institute an inquiry at once and let
the world know the facts? Are facts
immaterial to the militarists? If so,
they are not immaterial to the
masses. Are the militarists sure
that they can command the re-
sources Of the world as they did in
the last war with war debts more
than six times as great as when
the last war began? Will it be an
easy matter to finance another war?
If not, why this blare of trumpets
Mr.. Balfour promptly pledged to
France the support of Great Brit
ain in case of another attack, but
does that mean that his country pre-
fers a continuation Of military ex-
penses to a peace based upon re-
stored friendship and good will.
Great Britain has given every evil
dence of a desire to end war on
land as well as on sea and her peo-
pie will mot, anymore than the
American people, assume that a
peace basis is impossible. Why jeop-
ardize the entire program of the
peace conference by a resurrection
of the war spirit, when investigation
may not only allay the fears Of
France but furnish basis for a
land reduction in keeping with that
proposed on sea.
Here again the American govern
ment has an opportunity to make an
immeasurable contribution to the
possibilities of world peace by offer
ing the ten billions of war debt, due
from the allies, in exchange for en-
during peace, a peace built upon
restored friendship and promised
cooperation. It would cost the
United States government many
times as much as ten billions to pre-
pare for unnecessary wars when the
surrender of a debt that cannot be
paid within a hundred years may
remove the possibility of future
wars, and therefore remove the pres
ent necessity for large military es-
Establishments.
Copyright, 1921, by United Press.l