The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-18


IL at the conference decisions are
reached which are bound to be chal-
lenged by any strong Russia, which
may eventually arrive.
serve peace or that a new form or
world association has been hit upon
and applied to Pacific powers but
may now be expanded to European
powers.
What has been disclosed in WASH
ington is that an understanding be-
tween nations who desire to keep
the worlds peace is not only possi-
BILE but can be arrived at with rel
atively little dificulty and that rhi.
is precisely as far as anyone can
yet see the way clear for world
association. When Europe thinks
of the league of nations II thinks of
something which was the legal and
logical heir to the alliance which
defeated Germany in the world
war. 1t is still. in theory at least,
the guarantor of the military and
territorial terms of the treaty of
Versailles. Germany Is not a mem
Der nor does she accept the decis-
ions which the league represents.
Guarantees Differ.
Contrast TINS with our lar more
modest association of the powers OF
the Pacific and the lesson is unmis-
taxable. On the one hand a group
of nations mutually agree with
each other against attack, guaran-
tee their possessions against chal-
lenge. On the other each nation
belonging gives unmistakable evil
dence Of its own good faith. guar
an outside foe. visible and unmis-
taxable. but against injury coming
| from himself. And because the
guarantees are UNREASONABLE, he
cause the good faith of the guar
antor is accepted. the association Is
| formed.
This means, II II means anything.
II would seem to me. that the Gre
alton of an association OF nations
can only follow the creation of re-
lations between nations which Will
eliminate the possibility of war. In
other words when two nations or
more than two nations are agreed
/ that the existing situation is toll
cradle and that they are willing to
accept il as permanent, rather than
run the risks of war. then you have
! b"o cllS VI an dEEbNl
alton OF nations and the nucleus OF
such an association.
The league of nations rested upon
the assumption that II you made
certain nations keep the peace now
their habits and keep the same
peace voluntarily. but in practice
this has not proven the case. The
q a ~ ~ fNh h1e
been formed in Washington and
the principles which underlie the
whole conception of an association
is that there shall be no force. no
| coercion, no restraint, no comhina-
ton of four powers against three
or two against one. no guarantees
OF territory against outside attack
but that il rests upon common
acceptance OF existing condition.
by all concerned.
know that 1t will seem out OF
the question that this method o,
association can be applied success
fully to Europe, that European ma
lions can bring themselves 70
agree as between each other upon
a modus vivendi. which will be mu-
tually acceptable. yet il seems 10
bhal SUN hAtNiAOu NC nv
applied and applied promptly, per-
haps under the lash OF economic
necessity, the consequence will be
disastrous IN the extreme. And so
far as we have yet progressed, nc
method is discoverable, for in the
last analysis. the method OF wash
/ ington is not only the method of
the Anglo-French entente, but un-
derlies all the efforts represented in
the Hague experiments which pre-
/ coded the world war.
The Hague broke down. in the
end. but II broke down because the
nations concerned were not willing
to subordinate rival ambitions to a
common desire for peace. The
Washington association will break
down the same way II similar
spirit develops. but the Anglo
French entente succeeded, because
1t had its foundation in an equal
desire on both sides TO avoid war
and to observe good faith. and the
best reason for forecasting success
for the four-party agreement is
that no one can discover any rea-
son to challenge the good faith OF
any participant
(Copyright, ls2l.)