The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-27

IL IL goes on unchecke0 10 lt0
natural conclusion, central and east
ern Europe will follow Russia to u
condition In which the towns will
be dying or dead. empty and ruin
Gus, the railroads passing out of use.
and In which few people will be left
alive except uneducated and degen-
Grating peasants and farmers. grow.
ing their own food and keeping a
rough order among themselves In
their own fashion. We are faced, in
deed. with return to barbarism
over all these areas. They a.e
going back to the conditions Of rural
Asia Minor or the Balkans.
It May Be Arrested.
How far Ia this degeneration going
to spread?
Let us recognize at once that It
need spread no further. 1t is not AN
inevitable process. 1t could be dr-
rested. 1t could be turned back and
a rapid restoration of our shattered
civilization could be set going right
away, II the leading powers Of the
world, sinking their political ambi-
lions for a time, could meet frankly
to work out bankruptcy arrange
ment that would release the impov-
erfsihed nations from debt and give
them again a valid money, a stable
money with a trustworthy exchange
value that could be accepted with
confidence and saved without de-
terioration. Upon that things could
be set going again quite hopefully.
Education has not so degenerated
as yet, habits Of work and trading
and intercourse are still strong
enough to make such q recovery pos.
sibile.
Except perhaps in Russia. Rus
STA. Tor all we know. may have
sunken very deep.
But II there Is no vigorous world
effort made soon the trading class,
the foreman class, the technically
educated class, the professional
class, the teachers. and 80 forth, will
have been broken up and dispersed.
These classes are comparatively easy
to destroy. extremely hard to recon-
struct. Modern civilization will
really have been destroyed, II not for
good, for a long period, over great
areas II these classes go.
And the process is at present
still spreading rapidly. II it gets
Germany, and 1t seems to be getting
Germany, tnen Italy may follow.
Italy Is linked very closely to Ger
many economically and financially.
The death Ut Germany will chill the
economic blood Of Italy. Italy is
passionatesy anxious to disarm on
land and sea. But Italy cannot dis
arm while France maintains a great
army and makes great naval prepa-
rations. Frances refusal to disarm'
prevents Italy from disarming. The
Ira sways and sinks; it's value fluc-
tuates not perhaps SO widely as do
marks and croner, but much too
widely for healthy industrial life
and social security. And Italy Is
troubled by it's restless nationalists,
a whooping. flag-waving crew OF
posturing adventurers, without fore
sight or any genuine love Of coun-
try. II nothing Is done, think I
would give Germany about six
months and north Italy two years
before revolutionary collapse
occurs.
The Rhetorical France.
And France?
This new rhetorical France which
remains heavily armed while no
man threatens, which builds new
ships to fight non-existent German
armies and guards itself against the
threats Of long dead German gen.
erals-one Of NJ. Brands hair
raising quotations is to be found in
the Encyclopedia Britannica and
must be nearly twenty years stale
the renascent France which jostles
against Italy and England and be-
lieves that it can humbug America
for good and all while 1t does these
things; will 1t pull through amidst
the general disaster of Europe?
Will 1t achieve its manifest amH-