The Washington herald., 1922-01-15


mines OF Upper Silesis.
II French troops were withdrawn
within the frontiers of France then
Il Is almost beyond debate that at
no distant time German troops
would 60 into Poland while Boil
shevist troops would attack from
the east Bdtswho can deny that q
quarter OF a century hence German
conditions might be such that an
attack upon a strong Poland Of 4o,-
100000 OF inhabitants still assured
of, French support and backed by a
still more powerful Czecho- Slovakia
would seem unwise.
Anyhow, the fact stands. The
French mean to defend the Europe
that is now revealed by the map.
They have given their support to
the maintenance of the indepen-
dence and the increase of the
strength OF the small nationalities
which emerged from the storm and
stress of the world war. They be-
lieve that a few years of effort
may transform these states into
going nations and that then the
permanence of the new Europe
will be assured. But for a long
time to come this new Europe will
necessarily need support and the
young states will need to have
strong armies. supplemented by as
surance of the support of strong
French army.
British idea Different.
The British idea is something
quite different. Britain has no fur
Their fear Of Germany. She thus
finds herself at the outset able to
dismiss the political factor. What
she fears is that the restoration OF
the economical life of Europe may
be SO slow that her own population
will be forced to emigrate before
the old markets can be regained
and the British factories set to work
anew. She has two million of her
population out of work and sup
is the fact that Russian anarchy
has deprived her of the Russian
markets in which she bought cheap
food for the population. Instead
she has to buy dear food in Amer
lean and colonial markets.
What the British would like to
do is to get the economic machine
to work and first Of all to get the
German machine to work. The
whole British idea Is bottomed on
the before-the-war situation, in
which all of Central Europe was
economically tributary to Ger
many, who played the part Of mid
dleman for much of British trade.
Keynes, in his famous or notorious
book. outlined a system OF economic
supremacy for Germany in Middle
Europe which amounted to a restor-
alton of the old Mitteleuropa of
German propaganda.
Frswn on Small States.
As to the aspirations of the sue
cession states" these have never
awakened sympathy in Britain: I
mean in British foreign ONCE quar-
tiers, for these succession states
constitute a barrier to the speedy
reconstruction OF economic life. You
have many new frontiers, much
subdivision of territories, much
economic rivalry. Political frontiers
do NOT in the least coincide with
old economic unities, and II the
present system endures. not only
will all recovery be slow, but much
Of the old situation will never re-
turn.
So the British have shown them
selves hostile to Polish expansion.
they have been severe critics of
Czecho- Slovak expansion, they have
shown little approval OF the extern
sion of Rumania to the Dniester
and only a little more regard for
the Adriatic ambitions of the South
ern Slavs. The only nation whose
imperialism has interested them has
been the Greeks, whose campaig GINS
in Asia have had British backing.
But this. interest was only because
in the near East. Greek expansion
had served a British purpose.
Means Economie Recovery.
. IL the British could break down
the French army, persuade the
French to reduce il and to retire
behind their frontiers. then in fairly
short order the Germans would
retake their old provinces now
within Polish frontiers and the So
Wet armies would gather in Rus
sian and Austrian Poland. CGecho-
Slovakia would disappear and Ru-
mania would shrink. Austria as ,,
now exists, would unite with Ger
many and Hungary, would regain
much of its lost territory. You
would have central block of ter
ritory in Europe wholly dominat-
ed by German influence, but constr
tuting an economic whole.
More than, this, you would have |
Germany very promptly joining |
hands with. Russia and even under |
taking the economic regeneration
of a Russia which has already |
passed out of the shadow of ex-
treme anarchy Now these changes |
would mean much, very much in the |
way Of facilitating economic de-
veiopment. A Europe thus reorgan- |
lied would promise Britain Just |
those markets which she must have, |
K she Is to continue a great Eu- |
ropean nation. You would have a
sort OF Russo-German-Brftish eco
nomic alliance, which would have
very real consequences economical
~. And If only economic consider,-
lions counted or counted most IN
this world OF ours it would be a
evolution.
Political Liberty Sacrificed.
But in. such a Europe the small
peoples who have Just come to lib
erty would slowly. but surely, sink
INTO new servitude. Poland would
again be divided between the, Ger
mans and the Russians, the Czecns
would again, come under German
russian this time instead Of Aus
TRAN control. Rumania would be
even more subservient to Berlin
than she was before the world war
IND the Latins OF Bessarabla would
90 back to Russia In a word, no.
lucai liberty would be sacrificed
20 economic efficiency. This is whar