The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-06-18
By PRANK H. sIMoNDS.


The present month marks the
third year since the signing of the
treaty of Versailles and those COM
panion pieces which constitute the
work of the Paris conference. We
have. then. arrived at date when
1t is natural and perhaps worth
while to look back over the stream
OF events during three years of what
has been called peace and at the
least represents a transition from
the four years of disastrous and
unprecedented struggle.
And what shall one say of these
three years. confused. disappo! nting,
filled with crises and dominated by
leftover problems of the war and
still other problems of the peace,
as yet far from solution. Certain
ly II one believed or believes that
the war was itself to accomplish a
revolution in human nature, to
change the habits and the tradi-
tional political aspirations Of man
kind. then IT must be clear that
these three years present a picture
of establishment beyond measure.
In Light of Past History.
II, however. one is to examine
these years in the light of past
history. to compare the period with
| that which, for example, followed
| the ends OF the wars of Louis XIV
| or of Napoleon and the signing OF
the treaties of Utrecht and of VI
emma. then 1t is plain that what has
happened recently is in large
measure a mere repetition of the
events following other general con-
| vulsions. The world is zigzagging
back to normal, the normal which
is presented in all the pages of
modern history.
In the larger sense the world
war resulted from a disturbance of
the political balance incident to rise
Of Germany in 1917. and the unmis-
taxable check upon her dominance
which events in the opening years
! OF the second decade of the nine
| tenth century placed upon her am
! billions. The triple entente the ma
tons of Britain. France and Russia,
all menaced by the aspirations of
| German statesmen interposed its
veto to German expansion. The vic
tories of the Balkan states in the
Turkish wars of 1912 and 1913 fore
! Swallowed the certain disintegration
of Austria. Germany's sole sure ally.
| Time began to run fatally against
! Germany for she could no longer
| nope permanently to maintain her
| self against a Franco-Russian COM
| bination. while Russia grew by
| leaps and bounds and Austria fell
into rapid decay.
Germany Risked War.
Germany therefore risked war and
the war ended in defeat. in COM
/ plete abysal defeat. Austria disap-
peared as great power. Russia fell
into anarchy and Europe into poIiti-
cal chaos. There was left three
great powers, great European pow
ers. Britain. France and Italy. But
domestic political and economic con-
ditions eliminated Italy as a posi-
tive factor. For the moment. at
least. there were left only Britain
and France. once the United States
had retired from the European field
Now the history OF the past three
Years. the political history has been.
In the larger sense. the battle be-
tween the British and the French
Tor the control of Europe, a bat
tie to be sure, carried on within
what has been nominally at least
an alliance, but not less a conflict.
In this struggle the British have
had the superior financial condi-
ton and the great fleet. the French
have had the supreme army of the
world and the power, therefore, to
occupy every capital on the con-
tinent, had they chosen.
Issues Quite Clear.
In this battle the issues have
been quite clear. The British have
fought to restore the economic and
therefore the political conditions in
Europe in SO far as possible. They
nave endeavored to withstrain the
military power of France until such
Tune as the return of Germany and
RUSSIA TO strength would make pos
slble the restoration Of a balance
OF power on the continent, which
Is the root of all British policy
from Cromwell to Lloyd George.
Al the bottom of the British DO
litical policy there must be discov-
cred certain economic principles.
The development of British indus
try in the nineteenth century made
1t a matter of life and death for
Britain to find purchasers abroad
for her manufactures. The war so
disturbed the market of the world
the anarchy following peace trea-
ties SO prolonged the agony that
British industries were paralyzed
and British Unemployment counted
a normal 100000 of idle.
Pressure Drives British,
Thus the British rulers were
driven by ever Increasing pressure
on the home front to seek to re-
store old conditions. to assist in
putting Germany on her feet indus
trially. to aid in the restoration of
Russia. Every possible support
was naturally enlisted to get the
watch of Europe back to ticking as
soon as possible. This economic
policy, moreover. finds easy accept
! ance and natural approval in the
United States. which has measur-
ably the same interest and there
fore the same outlook.
On the continent. however, the
situation was quite different. France,
to begin with, was interested in
collecting reparations; unless she
got them she was fscally ruined
and. incidentally, erased as a great
power. But the greatest single bar
rter to the readjustment of Europe
was reparations. Germany, deter
mined not to pay anything. IL pos
sible. threw herself into bank
ruptcy to avoid all payment.
| ReyenI.s ola psycholn,v