The New York herald., 1922-10-08
GIBBS DOUBTS
ERA OF PEACE
Says the British Empire Must Soon
Decide Whether 1t Is to Stand
Alone as Bulwark Against the
Rising Tides of Color
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

Special Cable 10 THE Nnw YoRK HlnRALp,
LONDON, Oct. 7.
1" HE question must be asked and
If possible answered whether
the British Empire can count
in any way upon her allies in the great
war or upon any friendship in the
world during the coming conflicts
which will tax her strength to the
uttermost. For it is idle to believe
that we are approaching an era of
peace and world settlement. All my
hopes in that direction confess have
withered away after an anxious study
of the present situation in most of the
countries of Europe and in Asia Minor
] am forced reluctantly to believe
that for some years ahead, perhaps
for many, such institutions as the
League of Nations and all they repre-
sent in the hopes of idealists every
where will be challenged by the forces
of disorder and strife and by armed
Powers deaf to all arguments Of arbl-
tration and conciliation. The red hot
flames that have been lighted in the
Near East by Mustapha Kemal and
his Turks have already touched long
train of explosives stretching away
through Palestine, Persia and India
where Western ideas and desires do not
prevail and cannot be maintained ex-
cept by authority backed ultimately by
armed force acting as police.
1t is upon Great Britain above ALL
that the burden of authority falls most
heavily because of her immense
guardianship of the East. IT is not an
exaggeration to say that the British
people are the main bulwark of the
world against the rising tide of color
which is now menacing the white
races, But in many other ways Great
Britain has vast and perilous respon-
sibility.
Britain the Arbitrator
OF VanqMshed and Victors
Leaving ideals together on one side
and to mention them Is always to
raise the accusation of hypocrisy-it
Is certain that for trade interests and
economic life alone England stands for
a peaceful reorganization and settle
ment OF Europe and Is an arbitrator
between the defeated peoples of the
great war and their victors. That pol
icy is surrounded by inevitable dan
gers to old alliances and friendships,
for an arbitrator WHO holds the bal
ance between passionate interests and
deadly hates is not going to acquire
much love for himself on either side.
These difficulties are going to in
crease. Nothing Is settled anywhere.
The question of German reparations
still remains as an unsolved problem.
though for little while 1t has been
shelved. The question of interallied
debts between France and England
will come TO the fore again; hideous
old plague spots that seemed to have
been healed by the victory of the al
lies have broken out afresh.
The coming back of the Turk to
Europe as far as the River Martha on
the frontier Of Bulgaria will again
arouse racial hatreds and fears and
vendettas Of the Bulgar and Serb and
Turk. with Russia and Germany and
France pulling the wires from behind.
Already there are Ministers of France
who acclaim the restitution of Tur-
key as French victory against Eng
land. One of them has stated that
France must regain her ascendancy on
the Rhine as she has just done on the
Martha.
Britain Stands Alone
For Peace in Europe
1t is clear. then, that British policy
in Europe as well as in Asia will be
put to the most supreme test of wis
dom and strength, and there is con-
viction among the English people that
this ordeal will find them utterly alone.
Whatever may be the blame given to
English statesmen for supporting
Greek claims to Smyrna and ignoring
the growing power of the Turkish Ma
tionalists until they came down ike
tigers upon defenseless communities
of Christians after the Greek defeat
personally I think they were guilty
of incredible folly--it is hard to ac-
quit the French of unfriendly action
in withdrawing their troops from the
neutral zone around Constantinople at
time when British troops were or
dered to defend the freedom of the
straits.
France had pledged her word to
the necessity of keeping those straits
open. yet she refused to lend man
or gun to join in their defense. Mean
while British regiments, guns air.
planes and warships were being
rushed to the Bosporus, not FOR any
exclusive British interest but as
guardians Of Europe in this gateway
to the East. The cost of that mill
tary action is already heavy. 1t VIII
fall upon the British taxpayer, who
is already sweating under his load
and selling his home treasures to pay
his income tax.
II this is only the beginning OK ex-
tensive military operations costing
large sums of blood as well as money
the citizens of Great Britain may be
asked to bear impossible burdens and
may decide that 1t is better to sheive
some of their responsibilities. Wha'
will happen then to Europe and tc
white civilization? 1t is the British
people who guaranteed the German
banks so that Belgium should get her
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