5 December 11, 1918 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Aspects of the Coming Peace who LTHOUGH the final settlement of the prob among the Allies themselves, groups squabbling secure when with the outbreak of war one nation lems arising out of the war rests with men about spheres of influence, these will also appear can cut communications. The so called rights very much different from those about to and play their part; but the real struggle at the of neutrals are reality non existant, the priviassemble at Versailles, yet there is no doubt that peace table will be between the conservatives leges of neutrals, in respect to foreign trade at the next few chapters of the world history will and the liberals. the autocrats and the demo. Icast, lie in the hands of the dominant sca powser.
be colored, to a large extent, by the results of the crats, those who say after us the deluge and Freedom of the seas nieans in effect naval dis.
those are concerned about the future status the bourgeois press of the Allied countrics that of capitalism. Between these two factions the freedom of the land which means the disbanding the most pressing problem confronting the Peace great struggle of the Peace Conference will center of armies. But even if this question could be Council is the nature of the terms to be imposed the vivid youngest of the immediate future will be patched up by means of rules and regulations, for: on Germany; but unless the delegates delve much written.
deeper into the causes of the war than the conmost liberal liberals of bringing about total dis.
sideration of the relative guilt of the nations inOutside the halls of the council chamber is an armament, history shows that immediately the volved or the total guilt of Germany and the other power the awakened proletariat whose necessity is strong enough the regulations and nature of the punishment to be meted out. they This power, the new third estate. is the coming and the League of Nations would end in another actions will be determined by the result within. rules would be broken by the stronger wers will have failed to accomnlish anything of even dominant force, the herald of the new age. If the world war.
immediate value to the world. No mere rearrange conservatives prevail at the peace table then the ment of the man of Eurone. renaming of the ont clarion call to the final battle will sound and the anything lke what its advocates claim for it.
Furthermore a League of Nations, to effect jvino stretchee nf the world surface that were Germany colnnier, fixing of the amount to be ext few years will see we liberal forces triumph must be a league of all nations, and at the present. the call will be beof Domestic Pointions? Conrt rettline a cobble tion from Capitalism to socialism may eveninkie Socialist state and another on the verge of settle the problems nt present confronting the ference will determine the course of events, longue because even now, the Allics aro in a state less violent form. In this sense the Peace Con Russia, would apparently not be invited into this world.
though it cannot control the final outcome.
of semi war with Russia and the latter, Germany, The real issue facing the Allics at the Peace But while the real issue of the peace conference could hardly be invited in because she is just now Conference is not Germany fate. that is being lies in the class struggle and the final division in the nature of an unknown quantity, conseshaped by the German people; but the fate of will be along the lines of the conservative and quently if all the other nations, great and small, dictate to Germany in the same sense ng the Geta nor and opptrede tomardinthe chiede taries, en main became members of the league and Russia and mans were able to dictate to Russia at Brest Li perhaps bringing a scattering of these forces, the position of outlaws and instead of avoiding wars the league would necessarily cause war, in Germany will pursue a comparatively peace conservatives will insist on a woe to the conful path, facing only the orposition forces within. quered policy in dealing with the central EuroWith regard to the rearrangement of the map or whether it shall tread the stormy way of strife pern countries, and will then themselves, split on liberals than among the conservatives bui of Europe more unity can be expected among the at home but bevond that the real course of events in the spoils of victory. They will form and countereven here difficulties must arise over the small erstwhile, Central Empires lies with the awakehed form entangling alliances over trade routes, sphe. be to endeavor to grant the requests of the small nationalities and the present tendency seems to proletariat res of influences, and will necessarily have to reraces outside of the Allied countries and leave the Russia, at the present moment, presents much split again on the question of national armaments, question of the subject nationalitics within these more of a problem to the Allies than does Germa cach insisting on the maximum military and navcountries alone, thus halt settling this problent ny. Germany has been the enemy, Russia has al machine for his own particular nationality. which in itself contains the germs of future wars.
been an ally, in fact the member of the Allies who If the conservative forces of the Conference has contributed most in sacrifice of life to the war, carries the day international wars can hardly be Moreover, where the question of the small nationalities will be taken up at all, happenings in towards the Russian Proletarian Government demobilize. They will cut up territory with regard such a question cannot be settled without leaving and it is by the actions of the Associated Powers averted before the present armies have tiine to Austria, Hungary and the Balkans show that that their real purposes will be more clearly dis only to their own particular economic interests, rankling sores somewhere, and it is already evi.
cernible to the proletariat of their own countries putting race against race and burdening their den and will largely determine the actions of this dent that arbitrary decisions are going to have a proletariat.
tainly they will immediately wage war against worse effect than no decision at all. The only chance, with regard to the small and subject peoWhether it is right or whether it is wrong, the the Socialist states and will precipitate world rev.
ples, of a peaceful settlement is on the present tendency of the masses is away from what olution either out of the fresh wars or out of the basis of misery of their own peoples consequent on the selves, and this cannot be generally put into practhe people has hitherto been known as patriotism. The fervent outbursts of nationalistic love and pride, enormous expenditures for armaments. tice, as very naturally these shown in the sacrifices and devotion that have If on the other hand the liberal forces win, not consider such important questions from the mankind during astoni teelined wiory that these sacrifices have the war, and the natural they will endeavor to placate the masses of their viewpoint of the great powers, as, for instance, own countries, they will attempt to rearrange the balance of power. No matter what good inbeen crowned victory, are by no means the Europe along racial lines, as far as is possible in tentions may actuate the liberals in dealing real measure of the feelings of the masses.
Hitherto the people have gone to telle matter they will endeavor to effect on League of Nations the interests of the big nations that will decide without having even the faintest notion of the ments or at least preventing their increased In As justice, liberty and right.
why or the whereof this the cornecie to but that is dealing with the conquered peoples the indica The idea behind the formation of a Lengue of steps while the gun thundered, and whereas in force only such indemnities as can be paid without tional court that will be able to combine the func. knew or cared anything about international bility of causing armed resistance, they will try geois liberal conception of courts recognizes that affairs, now the great majority of the common there can be no justice where the court has a people are taking an intense interest in the re attempt to apportion the receipt of indemnity on lations of nation to nation.
personal interest in the disputevitamise mettons an equitable basis.
The people of the Allied countries have fought The League of Nations will in all probability must necessarily affect very definitely the inter.
a victorious war, and more important, they have only eventuate if the liberals are successful and ests of the jurors, as it is now admitted that nito seen the coming of Social Revolution in Russia even then it is very much open to question whether tions do not live by themselves alone, but as part and Germany. They have seen kings topple from it can be made workable, even for a time. If a of the whole group and that everything affecting their thrones like overripe fruit from the trees split occurs in the liberal forces it will be on this the group must affect the individual nation. This in autumn, they have seen mighty autocracies question which is the central idea of the liberal fact in itself, will sooner or later cause one of the mon people, they have glimpsed in the mirror of freedom of the seas will form one of the chief then the only course open will be an appeal to blown away overnight by the breath of the com ideology. Alrendy there are indications that the disputants to reject the decision of the league and their brothers deeds their own power, they feel points of difference between the Allies and the the hitherto latent strength beginning to pulse in freedom of the seas is absolutely essential to arms with the result that what might have more.
their veins, they are dimly conscious of the fact the establishment of a League of Nations as it ly developed into a local war will become a world that their is the victory, their the power, and is obvious that no such league can function while war of even greater magnitude than that which they are enquiring more and more into their own the waterways of the world are controlled by one the Peace Conference is trying to settle.
status in society. They are asking, why?
nation. Sea power is the key to foreign trade In any event whether the conservatives or At the peace table two definite factions will success, and foreign trade, or more specifically liberals gain the ascendency Capitalism will still emerge. Not the factions of the erstwhile Cent. the export of capital, investment markets, pro remain in power; the war will not have solved the tectorates and undeveloped territory generally, is fundamer tal problems that produced it, bringing ral Empires on the one hand, and the Allies on the other the pleading for mercy of the van absolutely essential to the continuance of Capital instead new and more intricate problems; and quished and the reply of the conqueror these ism in the present highly developed state of the the intervention of the third power the prolewill, of course, appear and very much overdressed, world. In times of peace foreign markets may be tariat will become still more imperative to real.
without naval power ize the longings of the masses for permanent strut the stage; nor will the division alone be open to all competitors peace and a new civilization.
along the lines of groups of national alliances no foreign market can be considered in any sense of any sort then