The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-09-06
BY WILLIAM C. UTLEY

! II n aO1oy uuONliS piNtuh SoS
i * telephone, fast steamships,
! 4 swift railroads and all those
/ other marvels of our present
age have made the entire world as
small as was eastern Europe say $50
years ago. But human nature has
changed little, and since pride in his
country is still one of the most out
standing aspects of mans nature, the
nationalism of individual nations still
maintains the high pitch which OBJ
tanned to 1t century and half ago.
But where $50 years ago travel and
communication were so slow that the
nationalism of individual countries
irritated only that of countries whose
borders conceded with their own, to-
day we find an entire world beset by
fears of great wars, and nations arm
ing frantically against one another.
They are still trying to maintain air
tight national borders and policies
just as they did in the old days, when
as matter of fact their interests are
so closely aligned that almost any ma
jor war today is potential world war.
Especially is this true of Europe,
where there are many countries, most
of them as small as their own ma
tional jealousies, and each trying to
live to the full measure of what it's
own people believe to be its rights.
Behind the present tension is the
struggle Of one of the most proud of
nations to regain its pride through
armament to the level of the other
European nations with which it was
once on par.
Following the failure of the Parts
peace conference and the rejection of
the League of Nations by the United
States, France was forced to the al
tentative of forming an alliance with
the Little Entente and Poland to keep
Germany cowed into submission to the
terms of the Versailles treaty. The
Washington treaty was supposed to
bring peace and armament understand
ing in the Pacific and the Far East.
Now Germany, as it Inevitably must,
has recovered enough strength to de-
clare for herself how much arms she
needs for protection, has junked the
Versailles treaty and is rapidly arm
ing. Japan has violated the 1858
naval ratios and has invaded China.
There is universal armament and the
world talks of war.
Two Alternatives.
Europe seems to be torn between a
return to a military alliance between
France, Russia, Italy and Great Brit
ain to keep Germany in line, or a
"Locarno" treaty between
Germany, France and Great Britain,
ensuring that peace shall be main
tanned through the League of Nations,
Or some modification of the league.
The first alliance would simply re-
create the situation which brought
about the World war, except that
Japan, fearing Russia, would be more
likely to line up with Germany than
he "Allies." The second agreement
would leave Germany, considerably re-
armed, with eastern Europe before
her, and would in all probability lead
% a war between Germany and Soviet
Russia.
Into the already tense situation has
been thrown the Italian in
7asion of Ethiopia. In the old days
his would have been countenanced
simply as bit of colonizing, and
everybody was doing it. But today it
s generally regarded as out and out
aggression, and therefore in violation
# both the covenant of the league
since Italy has refused to submit her
.ase to arbitration) and the kellogg
,act. If France, Great Britain and
'ther member nations refuse to close
he Suez canal or otherwise save ETH
'pia from the Italians it will be not
because they cannot. but because they
viii not.
The League of Nations was of course
ormed to preserve, In large measure,
he political state of Europe in 1919.
rhe result was inevitable. The ma
ions which were satisfied by this ar
angement have become the chief sup
'orters Of the league Those which