The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-07
THE RUHR INVASION.

Sir Robrt Horne former British Chancellor o Exchequor before the English-Speaking Union, in New York declared a collapse of European civiliza tinn such as the world has never known may be the result of Frances action in the Ruhr He pointed sat that what was necessary to make German capitalists believe Germany a country safe for them No confidence in Germany could be created, he said If you begin to seize by force any of the material upcn which Germany depends to carry on her trade
 The New York World, of the American papers which gives very and intelligent pains to dis cusslons of European matters, hopless than the British statesman, the situation as result of Frances invasion of Germany is ominous of world wide tragedy and disaster. It says no man can tell what the outcome may be. It suggests that the end may be monarchy communism, Bolsheyism, simply chaos It thinks it will be miracle if the German Republic continues to stand.
 In another editorial, the World says
 If Foch succeeded in making the Germans work for him in tho Ruhr the French Army would be in the Ruhr for at leas, genera tion, for that is the shortest time in which Germany could work off her debt. If the Ger mans surrender to Foch again, their promise will be more productive than the old If Germany by passive resist defeats Foch, the treaty colapses be- cause the force behind it will have spent itself. If Germany plunges into disorder through Nationalist Communist uprising. the treaty will be drowned in blood.
 Whatever the outcome in the Ruhr the modern enforcement of the treaty has become impossible, French imperialism might win this struggle. German nationalism might win it, Bolsheyism might win it. but more probably the whole European situation will become hopolessly chaotic that nobody can control il. In any event the system of European law established at Versailles is in the meltingpot and for better for the world faces a radical change France in the name of the treaty, has knocked the bottom out of it She has done what Ger many did when she declared the submarine war. She has rendered peace without radical change impossible.
 There is no in concealing the fact that the immediate future is omnous You cannot arrest diver in midair nor withdraw shell when it has been shot eff France mas chosen to exercise the force with which the treaty endowed her. She will have to spend that force because until it is spent it Is apparently impossible for Europe to re- turn to natural balance of power
 For the power which Foch commands to- day is not the natural power of France If Is temporary and artificial power placed in his hands by the American and British Armies In the natural order of things a nation of forty millions is in a position 10 dictate absolutely a nation of sivtv millions. We know after the experience oi Iouf years that there can be peace III Eufope while such an unnatural dictator snip exists. It has existed four years as a threat In judgment if cannot surviYo once It has been exercised Foch like Ma poieon can take his Moscow But Foch like Napolecn cannot return from his Moscow The acid Of the Ruhr will eat through the artlhclal militarsm of France And wBr, that miiitarism has collapsed the military anu financial clauses of the treaty will be dead. pS
 The world will then have to construc, now system of European order If the catastrophe which is unfolding itself in the hahr at Memel. in Hungary the Balkans ana Russia does go so far as to plunpo central Europe into general war the iiontiefs established at Paris may be pre- served. But the rest of the treaty win ha open 10 revision, and when the time comes eo revise II the public opinion of the world
 VII heeo 10 stand firmly against the great error of Versailles which was the attemnt to make permanent in Europe the temnorarv uIctalofsnIp won by the Allied Armies