Evening star., 1938-02-23

the prime minis ~
ters know that ~
the world is not ready for another
1914. They know this because peoples
are restless everywhere and there can
be no certainty that a united nation
can be maintained behind any modern
battle cry in democracy.
All over the world, the effects of
the great war are still felt. The men,
ory of sacrifices is still fresh, but,
above all, the knowledge that an eco
nomic earthquake took place, from
whose convulsions neither Europe nor
America has yet recovered, is today
the dominant influence for maintain
ing the status quo as long as possible.
The Versailles treaty did not per-
manently settle the question Of terri
torial ambitions, but merely left open
sores which show little signs Of heal
ing. It was Woodrow Wilson's dream
that the League of Nations would be
q continuing peace conference and
would, from time to time, revise the
peace provisions in the interest Of
equity and fairness.
But the United States killed the in
huence of the League by refusing to
accept any responsibilities under it.
Gradually, the League has lost first
one and then another sponsor, until
today the existing ma ajority in Britain
apparently is ready to scuttle the
League too
And why not? Can Britain alone
protect the peace of Europe? Can
Britain and France together stand up
againstthe German Italian
japanese combination, especially since
Soviet Russia is not to be counted
upon to put armies into the field on
the Eastern front?
Isolated by Dictators.
The British Empire and the French
Fepublic have truly been isolated by
the dictator-ruled countries, Anthony
Eden's argument is on paper unan-
swerable, but was this the time for
Britain to force showdown? OBJ
viously not
llC la lOASll W llllC IldS Il
hard course to defend, but he knows
the British people do not wish war
and that. from across the Atlantic,
the ally who helped win the great
war is wrapped up in her own troubles
and not corporal's guard could be
mustered in either branch of Con-
gress to support any military or naval
measures now looking toward the sup
port Of the French and British de-
mocracies.
1t is tragic truth that the great
war, which was, with keen prophetic
insight, hailed by President Wilson as
q war to make the world safe for
democracy" failed of its objective
because, while the democracies won
on the field of battle, they lost when
It came to the peace table and the
assurance of the fruits of victory
America, by repudiating the League,
really repudiated the idea of world
concert to preserve peace.
Another old phrase Games to mind
-"peace without victory"-uttered by
President Wilson in the days when
he hoped that the allied countries
would see the need Of sparing Ger
many from the bleeding process which
the extremists in the allied countries
were insisting upon. But again the
sllied diplomats failed They put a
financial burden on Germany in the
form of reparations. They took Ger
man colonies away. They sowed the
seeds of Hitlerism because, as Mr..
Wilson predicted. governments and
armies can be overthrown, but
proud people can never be vanquished.
Counseled Moderation.
From our vantage point across the
seas, America saw all this and coun-
seled moderation. Even as the allied
diplomats at Paris in 1919 insisted
on an impossible reparation burden,
men like Bernard NJ Baruch, head
of the economic section Of the Ameri-
can peace mission, declared the debt
could never be paid without breaking
down the German nation. Later,
Secretary of State Hughes said the
same thing. But the American people,
impressed by isolationist and stand
aloof doctrine, did not take an active
part in negotiating in the postwar
period the steps that might have led
to a stronger and more democratic
Europe.
Instead, the United States, insist
ence on payment of Allied war debts
prevented settlement and contributed
no little to the economic breakdown
In which even the Hoover moratorium,
bitterly criticized by petty politicians,
came too late to be of help.
There are many Americans who
insist We not only should have nothing
to do with Europe, because We might
become involved in war, but that
nothing that happens in Europe can
possibly involve us in war. Unhappily,
events are moving 50 rapidly that We
do not know the speed with which the
tides Of fascism and dictatorship are
sweeping across boundaries, stirring
up political as well as economic strife.
South America and Mexico will be-
come fertile fields for this revolu-
tionary doctrine, and perhaps even
our own country will, too.
Pacifism Rules Democracies.
True pacifism Is . doctrine that
sincerely seeks to avert war. Unin-