The New York herald., 1921-12-18
Real Peace on Earth Can
BE Viewed by Many as
Farley Outcome.
U. S. CREDIT IN IRISH CASE
Plans for Settlement Got the
Greatest Impetus From
America, 1t Is Said.
ny SIR PHILIP GIBBS.


LONDON, Dec. 1.-THE world is eoins
TO have the best Christmas since th:
ending Of the war. The spirit Of
Christmas. which is nothing ii not
peace and human brotherhood. will
not be overwhelmed by such black
Shasuy ironies as last year, when
many nations sat amid their ruin. dis
illusioned with all their leaders who
had broken their faith and their hopes
Of a better world after the war Now
faith is restored in the possibility Of
human progress and hopes are high
again in next ynar's progress.
What has happened TO make that
difference?
The answer is not doubtful in mil
lions OF hearts. The Washington con-
ference has happened. ard by its
clear cut success. its rapid. unfaltering
advance through jungles of difficulty,
its superb simplicity of method ana
achievement has in a month turned
the whole wheel OF human destiny
from cynical despair to vital optimism
Those are high sounding words Of
mine. but ! believe them honestly ut
terly. ! doubt whether the American
people or my own British folk quite
realize how deep a difference there is
between our mental outlook now and
our state OF mind two months ago, or
what new spirit has been breathed
into political life in its largest. dsnost
democratic sense by what has hap
pened at Washington.
Dangers No Longer Felt.
1t is not merely that certain evil
and dreadful possibilities such as war
between the United States and japan.
or a competition in building between
the United States and Great Britain
have been pushed out of the public
imagination, nor that there is quick
relief IN the burden OF armament costs
which such possibilities would have
laid heavily upon US all. Those are
minor facts in spite of their enormous
Importance. / mean they are minor
in their effect upon the worlds spirit
ual conflict.
The thing that has brought new
hope to the common consciousness is
that demonstration that at last, after
long waiting, there is a new and noble
leadership-that we are no longer
drifting toward a new. inescapable
ruin, rudderless. pilotless,. helpless. At
last the helm has been grasped by a
strong hand, and the ship Of human
life Is being steered away from the
rocks which would have smashed us
all to bits.
Those rocks arc still there. and God
knows there are storms still to en-
counter, and our poor old ship is bat
tered and has sprung many leaks;
but she Is no longer left to her zigzag
course without compass.
Dropping the metaphor. find every
where among the people meet on the
Continent of Europe as we'll as In
England the new belief that we are
beginning to pull out of our worst
phase of distress. of moral degradation
that followed tho earthquake Of the
war. and that common sense and good
will arc at last beginning to prevail
over hatred and folly.
Washington is a name which now
has acquired new meaning. 1t has
moral significance. People talk OF
the spirit Of Washington AS quality
Of mind. II was not because Of what
has been achieved at Washington so
much. think. as what may be done in
the future II that spirit of Washing
ton" continues it's influence in the d.
rection OF world affairs.
It is generally Acknowledged that
peace in Ireland is not separated from
this same spirit which inspired Wash
ington and all OF us here IN England
who have been working privately or
publicly to avert the horror of another
war In Ireland and to settle that old,
feud, do not minimize the
profound help that has come to us
from America. without whose moral
interest and influence this peace could
never have been attained.
know. perhaps better than most
people, that American opinion, espe-
cially the friendly opinion OF the Amer
lean people who had no sympathy at
all with Sim Fein violence. but very
strong desire for Irish liberty and
English friendship. was the direct
cause of the first ovcrtures which we're
made in behalf OF that truce in Ire
land which ended the reign OF terror
and made peace possible. More than
that cannot say but 1t Is one OF my
good memories that In a small way ]
was messenger between England and
the United States, and by giving q
faithful report OF the American feel
Ing among those whom I met IN many
cities Of the United States I was able
to convey 10 English public men and
moderate Irlshmcn that conviction OF
moral support which would be ours IL
home rule could be offered
and accepted.
That Irish peace. II It is not wrecked
on the very threshold OF glorious at
tainment by fanatical. blood guilty
men who have no spirit of peace IN
their hearts. but only the insanity Of
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