Evening star., 1921-09-04
SIGNING OF TREATY
BLOW FOR FRANCE
Separate Peace Between
U. S. and Germany Causes
Great Disappointment.
FUTURE PEACE MENACED
Defeated Powers, With Versailles
Pact Weakened, Aspire to
Regain Lost Territory.
PAIJI. SCOTT MOWREF

BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright, 1921.
PARIS, France, September 2.-The
signing Of the new treaty by the
United States and Germany, although
long expected. was hard blow to
our former associate. France. and to
some of Frances lesser allies like
Belgium, Poland, and Csecho.Slo-
vakta. The French press has not ac-
corded much comment to this por-
ton to irritate old sores on the very
eve of the application Of healing
balm, which, it is hoped. will emanate
from the Washington disarmament
conference. In French political cir-
cles. however. and among French
statesmen. disappointment is keen.
Hope to Regain Lost Territory.
have been attained" they say, ''in
either of two ways You could ratify
the Versailles treaty with reserva-
tions regarding the league Of nations,
and various European settlements, or
you could make a separate treaty.
The result so far as Americas imme-
date interests are concerned would
have been identical in either case.
But as regards Europe's interests and
there Is a vast difference between
these two methods of procedure. What
we want and what you want 10 q re.
turn OF peace and prosperity to Eu-
rope and all the world in the shortest
possible time. So long, however. as
the defeated powers continue to har-
Dor a secret hope that within few
years circumstances will enable them
to overthrow the Versailles treaty
and retake some. il not all, of the
"a
of peace will necessarily be slow.
Treaty Encourages Unrest.
For so long as the defeated states
are animated by a feeling of revenge
and various continental states are
animated in consequence by a feeling
of fear. that spirit of confidence nee.
essary to a conclusion of peaceful
to prevail. We know that the sign
ing the treaty of Berlin by the Amer
ican government is not intended to
encourage unrest in Europe and yet
such will almost inevitably be the
result, for the defeated states will
interpret this act as moral repudia-
ton by America Of Europes new po-
litical status. The real danger is less
now than twenty years hence. We
shall see"
Pacific Question Involved.
Other commentators point out that
the American government ndS due
mitted that it cannot disinterest itself
from Europe, politically either. The
question Of the Pacific will be found
In the end, they assert. to be mex
tricably bound up with European
questions. for China and Japan are
leads back across Europe to Germany.
The writer knows for fact that sew
eral leading representatives of the
United States abroad believe there 10
much truth in these various European
opinions. The question arises whether
in negotiating a separate treaty in
stead of ratifying the Versailles
treaty with reservations the new ad-
ministrAtion has not acted over
hastily.
Germass FeAeettNeeessasy.
The coincidence Of Erzberger's as
sassination and Of the latest exhibi-
dium with the signing of this sepa-
rate treaty is certainly fortuitous.
yet the very alacrity with which Ger
many subscribed to our diplomatic
Vshds with the sv Wahhinston M se conference Is So
close at hand it was obviously neces-
sary that the United States terminate
the ambiguity of its relation to the
former central powers without more
delay.
AS the irreconcilables still refused
to ratify even an amended form of the
Versailles settlement, the President,
fearing a split in the republican
party. had perhaps no recourse but
to make separate treaty. At the
same time 1t is diffcu1t to believe
that any American senator would per-
sistently stand in the way of his
country's best interests, provided
these interests had been duly ex-
p1ained to him.
VIII Comply With Facts.
American diplomacy will. perhaps.
be able to correct in the next few
months the unfortunate impression
which the treaty Of Berlin has made
upon some of our former European
associates, but, if SO. we shall have
to employ bolder and more human
methods than the ostentatious taci-
turnity exhibited by Col. Harvey at
the last meeting of the supreme coun-
Gil Some surprise has been felt in
France that the approval Of the allies
to the terms of the treaty OF Berlin,
IL only for reasons of courtesy, was
not requested in advance by the
United States. However. the writer is
Informed that neither France nor
Great Britain will raise this question
of procedure and both will accord
their tacit compliance to the new
state of fact.