The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-16
MONDAY. OCT. IS. 1898.
KEEP COOL


League of Nations and disarmament confer
ence has created the most dangerous stu
alton since the Armistice. France is almost
ready to fight SO are Frances military
satellites, Poland and the Little Entente. The
British government sides with France.
Germany's share of responsibility is obvi-
GUS Hitlerism is madness. 1t is destroying
civilization in Germany. 1t would destroy
civilization elsewhere.
So again in France and other European
countries the old cry for holy war is re-
vived war of prevention, a war to make the
word safe for democracy.
In America, farther away from the scene
of strife, there is little of war fear and war
fever-as yet. But as the weeks pass and our
ambassador suffers more Naz government
affronts and more American citizens in Ger
many are assaulted, American hostility to
Germany may grow. Now is the time for
America to face the facts.
II we face the facts we shall see that they
are not simple. We shall see that Germany is
not all black and the others all white. We
shall see that Germany is not the only guilty
one.
And if we consult our own experience we shall
see that war can not save democracy, even
though it were a simple case of Germany's
sole guilt. Germany was put down before,
and the victors were left free 20 run the world.
They have run it into this mess today
The Versailles peace crucifed the fourteen
points. 1t made the world safe, not for
democracy, but for allied imperialism and
militarism. The League of Nations was vic
tors league 1t lacked democratic control 1t
was dominated by the great powers and used
for their selfish purposes. 1t helped to per-
petuate French military hegemony of Europe
and British dominion over subject peoples.
For nearly fifteen years a disarmed and
democratic Germany waited for the victors to
carry out their treaty pledge to begin to dis
arm themselves as they had disarmed her with
our help. And America also waited and urged
that disarmament in vain
These years of allied imperialism and mill
tarism since the arnstice turned the demo-
cratic and peaceful Germany into NaH mad
house. From the beginning the American
press and the liberal press of the world have
warned that French and British policy was
creating an inevitable German menace. This
does not justify Hitler, but it explains his hold
upon a vctimized Germany.
British and French imperialism and mill
tarism under the cloak of the League of Ma
lions, the Kellogg pact and other peace
treaties, encouraged lesser powers to do like
wise-especially Italy and Japan
Two years ago Japan began her war of
conquest in violation of the League and Wash
ington treaties There was the test of the
worlds peace machinery After initial hesta-
ton, the United States government assumed
world leadership to save the peace machinery
For many months the United States govern
ment tried sincerely and courageously to form
united front against treaty violation.
But the European powers prevented that
united front First France and then Great
Britain sided with Japan in secret and openly.
until long series of evasions and diplomatic
tricks had confirmed Japans successful con-
quest with connivance of the French militar-
lists and British Tories
Japan's easy defiance of peace was an in
vitation to German defiance of peace
Are then, all the other other powers joint
ly responsible for the present threat of world
war, and America alone innocent?
America has had her debauches of i'm
perialism and militarism. There have been
times when America refused to cooperate for
world peace and times when America ruth
lessly subjected weaker peoples This news
paper never has hesitated to say so. But,
latterly Americas hands have been relatively
clean especially during the last two years.
Apart from slowness in winding up our Carib-
bean imperialism. our guilt has been limited
chiefly to economic chauvinism. Our high
tariff and debt policies contributed to eco
nomic conflict and to that extent weakened
world peace
But on the political and military side We
have less to be ashamed Of Though not a
formal member of the league, the United
States government, in these last two critical
years for the most part has labored faith
fully to hasten disarmament and to save the
worlds peace machinery.
Despite Americas effort the world races
on toward war in which Great Britain and
France and their smaller allies would share
the responsibility with Japan and Germany.
What can America do now? We only can
go on working for peace and joint disarma-
ment, even if we fail. America does not want
war. America is not causing war If there is
a European war it will not be our war
Latest Americanized version of the Bible
buries the story of the creation in the middle