The Washington herald., 1922-04-21
Bv FRANK H. SIMONDS.

Not since July. 1914. has Europe
been in the presence Of a political
crisis as acute as that Of the present
hour. Not one but several wars are
within easy view and despite the
labored optimism In certain official
quarters at Genoa, there Is no mis-
taking the fact that the process of
disintegration Is going on steadily.
Moreover, Lloyd George, the last
restraining force in Europe, Is daily
losing influence at home and abroad.
Between the 1914 situation and
the present there is a close analogy.
Then Austria, under German advice,
placed Europe in the presence of an
accomplished fact intolerable to sew
eral great powers, by her ultimatum
to Serbia. Now. the Russo-German
coup has created a condition which
will as little be endured by France
as the Serbian program of Austria
could be borne patiently by Czaristlc
Russia.
Situation Same as In 1914.
In 1914 that thing which one called
the concert of Europe disappeared
with the coming of the crisis. There
cas- no possibility of common action
zen because the nations had been
I -opelessly divided. Today exactly
he same situation obtains. Europe
was called to Genoa to decide be-
tween a new policy Of association
and the old method of alliance. IT
has definitely decided and the Russo
German alliance now created means
war sooner or later.
The simple situation which mas
i L. IS
Russo-German alliance is now re-
partners, the fact OF the associa-
ton of these two nations has been
established and this fact threatens
two things: The immediate ruin of
all the smaller states lying along the
Russian and German frontiers and
the ultimate destruction Of France.
Waiting Means Disaster.
Therefore, it is a matter Of life and
death for France, for Poland and for
the little entente states, that Is Ru-
mania and Czecho-Slovakia and, in
all probability, Jugo-Slavia, to take
advantage Of their present strength.
Today there is nothing to prevent
French armies from overrunning
Germany and completing the task
IL
is done, a German attack upon
France, always inevitable, may se
postponed for a generation at least.
Exactly the same situation obtains
Tor the little entente. II Poland
and these states now march with
France, then the danger of a double
attack from Germany and from Rus
sia may be postponed. But everyone
in Europe knows, not a few
Washington know, that a great
Russian offensive against Poland is
already in preparation. II France
and the entente wait, then ultimate
disaster will be inescapable.
What Is now going on in Genoa
Is not in the slightest degree re-
lated to the purposes for which the
conference was originally called.
The economic phase is over, II can
not be restored What is taking
place Is the frank maneuver on both
sides for advantage in the public
opinion of the world in the clasn
which is now well night inevitable.
u France Gains by Time.
The fact that the French have
not yet withdrawn from Genoa has
no other significance than the req
ognition that the Russo-Ge-man
move has bestowed upon France
an enormous advantage. which can
best be exploited upon the spot.
Threatened a few days ago with
Isolation In the world, France is
now assured of the aid of Poland,
of the little entente and Of Bel