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Show Hf AMERICANS AND EUROPEAN B PEACE H The -American people are for a league B' f nations because they want peace. H , Do the European peoples want peace? K i The Finns are fighting bolshevik Rus- M'i -sia. Thp Poles are fighting the Russians, HK , the Germans, the Ukranians and the HE! ' Czecho Slovaks. The Esthonians are Kl'i ifighting the Russians and the Germans. Rl Tiie Lithuanians are fighting the Poles Hffi'1 nd the Rusiians. The Ukrai)iuns are HE v J fighting the Russians and the Roumanians. Rouman-ians. The Roumanians are fighting the Ukranians and the Jugo Slavs. The Czecho Slovaks are fighting the Poles and the Hungarians. The Hungarians have been fighting the Czechs, the Poles, the Roumanians and the Jugo Slavs. The Jugo Slavs are fighting the Hungarians and are ready for war with the Italians and vice versa. Each of these peoples prefers other things above peace. They could all have peace if they preferred peace with compromise com-promise to war for territory or control of territory. We are yst to learn whether wheth-er the French prefer peace to the Saar valley or whether the Germans prefer peace to the loss of the Saar valley; whether the Jugo Slavs prefer peace with the loss of Flume or war for its possession; pos-session; whether Great Britain prefers war to a number of alternatives in the alteration of her relations and commitments commit-ments which we need not specify; whether wheth-er Japan prefers peace to the expansion r her control in a number of directions which we need not specify. 1 Looking at the European scene it is difficult for peace loving America to find any overmastering disposition to keep out of war. We can find there every passion pas-sion except that passion for peace of which we hae heard so much from the pacifists. The kings are gone, but the peoples of the old world are still carrying carry-ing on war, cutting each other's throats, burning each other's towns, ravaging each other's fields, as from timd whereof the memory of nvin runneth not to the contrary. The league of nation's, we are told, is to change all that But how? The amiable Americans who all over the 'country are "for a league of nations" would do well to examine that question. If the European Euro-pean peoples want some" things more than they want peace they, will not make'peace until they get them, and' as they can't all get tlen1 since they, want the same things they will make war unless they can bev compelled to make peace. Are the American people ready to compel com-pel them? Perhaps they are. We think they ought. to decide that question before, they go any farther. The league of peace cannot be a league until Europeans -want-peace more thanvthey want what they are making war for now. The league of peace is not a league of peace, but a league for peace, and while Europeans want war it will be a league ,o war. The American1 people may be ready to enter such a league, but we think they sliould know what they are entering. We think they should understand they are not entering a league of peace but a league to make war for peace. Chicago Tribune. |