The Washington herald., 1922-09-18

tdlo 10 me one
day: You are in luck 10 have your
devastated regions; they are a real
guarantee against unemployment
There are things which IL is wei
not to say-or. still better. not e
think.
NO one has known at closer
quarters than myself the full power
Of cooperation between our two
countries. have not forgotten
how the unheard-of effort OF Amer.
lea in 1917 and 1918 contributed to,
ward the common victory. nor what
France, in spite Of the heavy bur.
dens OF our years of war. did tc
enable the American army TO come
in good time into the final battle
The memory of these magnificent
achievements inspires me with com.
plete faith in the fruitfulness OF
our association. II during the las,
two years this association has no,
been functioning. l can but point
out that France is not responsible
II am convinced that sooner or
later. IL will be reborn In wha,
form? known not. But I be-
lieve IL will be reborn"
DIR. Eliot Contrfbutes
Or. Charles W. Eliot continues In
Foreign Affairs the chain OF thought
of his famous book. Five America n
Contributions TO Civilization" His
article is entitled The Next Great
American Contribution 10 Civiliza,
tion."
He writes:
When the armEtlce was unexpect-
edly signed on November ]. 1915. the
state of mind Of the American soldiers
in France underwent a sudden change.
They all wanted TO go home at once
and TO resume their civil occupations
and many of them. but by no means
all, avowed that they never meant to
do any more fighting except in defense
OF their own country and people
Never again would they encounter the
sufferings and hardshins Of the sol
dier's life or run the risk OF being
killed or disabled for the sake Of any
people or nation or in any way CON
tribute To the enforcement Of any
treaties or alliances which might here
after be made for the benefit Of the
allies. Of the nations which had been
neutral during the war or OF the new
states which had been created OF
"NaS ~ bt NANdAtu as lCtullS Ol Ale
war. No more sacrifice Of American
lives or American savings should be
made for the benefit of foreigners.
shortly after the signing Of the
armistice some political leaders a,
Washington. made aware Of this state
Of mind among the returning soldiers,
began to talk about the secure isola-
tion OF the United States and the self.
sufficiency OF their resources and tc
preach the dubious doctrines express.
ed in the phrases safety first" and
America first" These slogans are
both capable of good uses. but these
politicians used them in their selfish
and iGnoble significations. When the
probable terms of the treaty of Yer.
sailles became known a formidable
proportion OF the members Of the
Senate gave notice that they should
vote against the ratification Of any
treaty under which the American peo-
PIE might assume an obligation to
enforce the decisions Of the assembly
and council OF the league Of nations,
Partisan politics had something to do
with this demonstration I'm the Sena te
against the treaty and the league of
nations which was Incorporated with
IL. but there were members Of the
Senate who really believed that the
conduct of the American people to.
ward their late comrades in arms and
toward the promotion Of human vel
fare in general, political. economic or
social. might properly be therea ftel
determined solely by the commercial
and financial interests of the Ameri-
can people and not by any philan-
thropic or humanitarian emotions or
sympathies. The platform of the Re
publican party indorsed this demor-
alization doctrine. This was an extra
ordinary departure from the moral
principles which the whole experience
of the American democracy had incul-
Gated and the birth Of the Republican
party had nobly illustrated.
America's Part.
In November. 1920. the Repub.
licsn party returned to power. after
an interval of eight years, with ar
overwhelming majority in both the
Senate and the House and complete
possession of the administrative or
ganizat!on. The new administration
believed that il had received from
the people an emphatic mandate &c
prevent the United States from in.
curing any obligation to assist Eu-
rope, on either the political or the
economic side, to recover from the
desolation and chaos which resulted
from the war, and particularly &c
keep the United States out of the
league OF nations. because one ar
ticle in that covenant contemplated
the possible use Of some interna.
tionRl force to prevent outbreaks
OF war.
There 10 serious doubt whether
any large part of the American peo-
pie has suffered this moral collause
In the Presidential election of 1920
some temporary motives took effect
on considerable bodies of voters.