The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-28
SYSTEM HELD
TOBLAME FOR
WORLD STRIFE
international Anarchy Sent
War Clouds SCudding
20 Years Ago.
PEACE is MENACED
Stage Today IS Set for
Another Clash of Great
Powers.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, July 28.-The
World war began twenty years ago
today. Were Kaiser William II and
Germany responsible for it? Is an
other one likely?
At the Paris peace conference the
allies branded the kaiser as the
worlds Public Enemy No. l and
wanted him hanged.
The Treaty of Versailles publicly
arraigned William II of Hohenzol-
lern, formerly German emperor, for
a supreme offense against interna-
tional morality and the Sanctity of
treaties" provided for a special
tribunal to try him and proposed
to ask Holland to turn him over.
1t formally accused Germany and
compelled her to admit her guilt.
All this was merely part and par
Gel of world gone mad. Germany
and the kaiser we're no more and
no less responsible for the World
war than were other European pow
ers and rulers.
survival VI blIC II ItbCSb
Austria precipitated the war by her
high-handed treatment of Serbia.
Germany could have prevented it by
acting as a check on her ally. But
the peace of Europe had long since
become a house of cards ready to
topple at the first puff. If the pistol
shot at Sarajevo had not provided
it, something else would have.
The World war was caused by the
system. 1t was caused by interna-
tional anarchy Anarchy, says
Webster, lis the utter negation of
order" For centuries prior to 1914,
the only law most nations observed
was the law of the jungle What
they wanted, they took-if they
could. Might was right. The f1ttest
survived and the devil took the
hindmoSt.
If the sun never set on British
soil, it was because Britain had the
might to make it so. France built
up world empire second only to
Britain's because she had the power.
Russia expanded from the Baltic to
the Pacific for the same reason.
All Fight Each Other
Before them there had been
Greece, Rome, Spain, Portugal and
the rest. The strong took from the
weak. Whenever and wherever they
could, they even hijacked each other.
The only difference between Ger
many and Japan and the others
was that they came on the scene a
little late.
There has hardly been a decade in
recorded history that did not see
war or two in the old world. Prac-
tically every country in Europe and
Asia has fought every other country
in that area. England has fought
France, Russia. Spain, Holland,
China, Tibet and the rest, including
US
The only difference between the
World war and past wars is that it
was bigger and the lineup was diff
ferent. 1t was caused by the same
old anarchy in international rela-
tons. Nations lived like wolves,
sometimes hunting Singly. sometimes
in packs. Snarling and fighting over
their finds" by twos and in all
sorts of combinations.
A New Balance of Power
Britain and Germany at one time
actually planned to divide between
themselves the colonies of Portugal,
Britains ally.
Not so very long before the World
war Britain and France came within
an ace of war over Egypt. the Sudan
and Siam. Russia and Britain were
constantly at daggers drawn for
years and Britain and Germany al
most clashed over the Berlin-to-
Bagdad railway
And so on, without end.
Out of the maelstrom there grew
up a new balance of power in Eu-
rope. Britain, France and Russia
faced Germany, Austria Hungary
and Italy.
Britain at one time came near
joining Germany. But when the
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