The Washington herald., 1922-05-28

reality have brought into existence
within the league of nations a real
alliance of the old fashioned sort.
All over Europe. as a consequence
Of the conflict between the two
ideas, compromises of a disastrous
character contributed to make
peace precar.ous. France. for ex-
ample, desired that there should be
created a strong Poland which
should be available to assist her in
case of a new war with Germany.
on the contrary, fearing the
economic consequences of the rise
Of a strong Poland and the political
results of the certain association of
Poland with France, argued, quite
accurately. that II Poland were made
strong by the substraction from
Russia and GERMANY of lands once
Polish but for a century under alien
rule. both Rnssin and Germany
would eventually attack Poland and
thus precipitate a new European
conflict.
Poland Trouble Source.
AS a result you had the creation
of the Polish corridor. as a conse-
quence OF French insistence, but
the founding at the sea end of the
corridor of the free city of Danzig.
which totally negatived the usefui-
ness of the corridor. You had the
plebiscite, which resulted in
the impossible partition of the
present hour. Ultimately you had
a war between Russia and Poland
and the apnexat!on by Poland Of the
lands to the eastward. Thus there
emerged neither a British nor a
French solution. Russian and Ger.
man hostility was not abolished.
while Poland was not made strong
enough to defend herself. Her de-
pendence upon France was not
eliminated. but rather increased.
1t Is not necessary to dwell upon
all the other similar episodes. OF
which Bessarab'a. the German
speaking districts Of Czecho- Slo-
vakia, the Sarre Basin are typical.
The treaties of Paris, which found
ed the new conditions of Europe In
every line and in every provision.
bear witness to the consequences OF
the collision of the two conceptions
and all that has happened since
1919 has been the inevitable conse-
quence of the impossible effort to
compromise two mutually exclusive
conceptions.
Britain Jolted.
After the Paris conference the
United States quit Europe, and the
refusal of the Senate to ratify the
treaties removed US as a force and
factor in the European situation.
For the British this proved in the
end fatal detection. Still adher-
ing closely to the original concep-
tion. Lloyd George. having failed in
the first instance to impose the
British ideas upon Europe, en-
deavored on every possible occasion
to bring about a modification of the
treaties as written, which should
establish conditions more in accord
with British purpose and interests.
As time passed 1t became clear
that the treaty of Versailles and its
pendant agreements constituted the
most tragic disaster in all British
history. Depending for existence
upon the ability to sell her products
In the markets of the world and to
earn revenue by the transport of
the worlds freight. the British saw
as a consequence of the treaties of
Paris, not a prompt return of the
world to the old conditions of peace
which madesfor trade and commerce,
but a perpetuation and even an ac-
centuation of the wartime paralysis
England Seeks Markets.
THUS in peace the unemployment n
Britain increased by leaps and bounds
until 100000 of men were out of
work and substantially this condi-
tion now continues without any pres
ent hope of remedy. The need of
the Russian and German markets be-
came more and more imperative, but
the opportunity of obtaining these
markets seemed daily to grow
slighter. More and more, therefore.
British policy became insistent upon
notifications of the Paris treaties
which should abolish the conditions
of war and restore those of peace.
Thus the British came into collision
with the French over the whole
reparations issue, over the occupation
Of German cities when the Germans
violated the treaty of Versailles. Thus
they took the German side when the
question of Upper Silesia was up.
Thus they advised Poland to sur
render to the Russian Reds when the
Soviet armies for the moment an
preached Warsaw. Thus at Genoa
Lloyd George again raised the issue
of Eastern Galicia in a sense favor
able to the Russians. In the same
fashion he suggested Rumanian sur
render OF Bessarabia or relinquish-
ment of claims growing out Of the
confiscation of the Rumanian treasury
funds. moved to Russia in the war.
Policy Eorced Alliances,
As an inevitable consequence OF
this policy. however. Britain has
driven the states thus imperilled in.
to a common association. The alli-
ance between France and Belgium
was the inevitable outcome of the
failure of the British to give any
pledge against new German attack
and the steady support given In Lon
don to the restoration of a Germany
which was manifestly looking for
ward to a day when the defeat of
1913 could be avenged Belgium
with an open frontier and a 1914 ex-
perience, had no choice but to seek
associati with a neighbor possessing
the strongest army in Europe.
Poland. in a similar fashion, find
ing British opposition on all sides,
was saved at the critical moment
despite British interference at Danzig
by French aid, and took precisely the
course which was always fore
shadowed, making a formal alliance
with France. More than that. French
aid and the sympathy of continental
nations again defeated British will
and bestowed upon Poland the richest
mineralized areas of Upper Sllesia.
the league of nations by an oddly
irontcal turn, actually rendering the
decision. The treaty Of Riga was the
hnal evidence of Polish success. while
the regent annexation of Wilma COM