The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, JULY 21st, 1922. THE HAGUE FAILURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, JULY 21st, 1922. THE HAGUE FAILURE.

The Hague Conference having come to a standstill, so far as the discussions with the Russian delegation are concerned, it is expected, states the London “Daily Telegraph’s” Hague correspondent, “that the energies of the Aliled Rowers will now be directed to a solution of the problem of Central Europe, hastening the recovery of the devastated areas there.” It seems, comments a Wellington paper, that the civilised world, before it is so very much older, may be confronted by a Monarchist coup-d’etat in Germany. au t | that the Monarchists, cooperating with the Russian Bolshevik Government may make yet another desperate bid for world empire. That the workers are on the side of the I German Republic is demonstrated by the fact, reported in a Berlin cablegram, that the trade unions have intimated to the Majority Socialists and the. Independent Socialists that they strongly resent these two parties voting for the Protection of the Bepuhlie Bill in a watered-down form, and demand that the Independent Socialists shall forthwith be admitted to the Cabinet. “This declaration,” we are told, “signifies the determination of the workers to have ft Government strong enough to safeguard the Republic”; hut the Berlin cablegram states that the political crisis has thereby been rendered more acute. The root of the trouble, of course, is that, no matter how powerful the Government may be politically, unless it is sufficiently powerful in men, munitions, and military leadership to meet and defeat the Monarchists in the field, it cannot really lie “strong enough to safeguard the Republic.” Unless the reports which have recently com e to hand are greatly exaggerated —and of that, we think, there can he little hope—it is clear that the armed forces at the disposal of the Republican Government are neither numerous

enough or sufficiently wel] officered

and munitioned to make head against the trained troops, fully munitioned and led by officers of the greatest experience, and high skill, that the Monarchists can mobilise at short notice—if, indeed, they are not already practically mobilised. The situation, on the face of it, is a perilous otle.' It appears to be only too clear that the Republican Government has been very cleverly hoodwinked by the Monarchist conspirators, and has unwittingly allowed them to maintain, and keep in training considerable armed forces, and to accumulate' great stores of munitions. Either that, or the Republican Government, knowing full well What has been going oil, has rtot felt itself strong enough to deal vigorously With the position alld nip this treason in tJie biitl; and Ibis, moreover, lacked tile moral courage to inform the Allies or the League of Nations of the Monarchist machinations, so that they .might take steps to disarm and disband the somewhat-thinly camouflaged “armies of the All Highest.” There is, of course, yet another alternative, that the Government has all along been betraying the Re - nbli- by conniving at tile maintenance of armed forces and the storing up of munitions; but any such suggestion is heavily discounted by the very ruthlessness of the Monarch.st attacks on the Government’s strongest men.

But whatever be the blame attaching to the German Republican Government, one cannot but think that the situation ,in Central Europe would have been very different from what it is to-day, if the great American Republic. right from the start, had come into the league of Nations ami bad insisted upon (he setting up of the international police force which alone can make the League thoroughly effective. The League could theil have taken iii hand the delicate ntld difficult tilsk of disarming Germany and disbanding all her armies, leaving in being only a sufficient local polite forte to deal with matters of iocal significance oriy, which would riot, of courSe, come within the purview of the international police. The tie public Party Of the United States, however, preferred to play polities, and irt still playing polities, so far as the League of Nations is concerned. Instead of bringing in the vast power, guided by the keenest acumen, of the New World to redress the balance of the Old. America has stood aloof from Europe and all tier pclst-war difficulties and dangers. It is only to be hoped that Ib(> result wilt not be the outbreak of another world-colillagralion. If such a conflagration should break out, America cannot but suffer from its far more than she suffered in the Great War. Surely the statesmen of America can see the danger. Surely, they will join the League of Peace and come to Europe’s aid before it is too late.