International Illusion
THE COMMONWEAL A Weekly Review of Literature, The...
...No nation can have a more But the consequences of the Wilsonian crusade had laudable ambition than to be a citizen of the world...
...Contrast, for Naturally, the result was widespread secret dissatisfacinstance, the position of Germany with that of France...
...matters most Americans knew little and cared less...
...The obvious every day...
...Such Second, the American tradition of "binding up the honesty might well begin with an admission that the wounds of conflict" remains a duty now, especially berepudiation of President Wilson after his return from cause of the share taken by Wilsonian intervention, not France was due to the previous steady formation of a merely in the winning of the war, but in its prolongaparty antagonistic to his policies...
...tion...
...Wilson had been ment that had existed ever since 1917...
...The Bond issues, many of which carry stock purchase war- American people rose stolidly and performed its task, rants ultimately likely to bring about foreign financial but little by little a growing middle-western consciouscontrol of basic industries, are accepted by the Ger- ness of having been tricked into disaster became strong mans with a patient shrug...
...Insignificant because they stress once again an old politi- stability in government creates a weakening of concal truth which is of major consequence just now...
...not consented to be honest with our history...
...Until it is removed or corAll of this makes imperative a new and realistic rected, there is little hope that the average American examination on our part of the causes which led to mind will view foreign affairs dispassionately...
...affairs are normally of so little immediate importance What is an election day detail for us is a matter of in the United States that they become mere weapons life and death to France...
...The debts Europe, however, history has decreed that domestic were contracted fairly and formally, but quite as corissues are contingent upon the nature and the possible rectly there was disseminated an informal understandsolution of international problems...
...It does not understand why our brotherly ing to the conquest of a cause it did not understand...
...Precisely here is the root of continental amazement There is no other example in history of a nation forand anger at the conduct of our government...
...and that there States with international organization, and which aids seemed to exist a general feeling of disillusionment...
...Why have we questions of politics or economics, this fact abides...
...the vengeances of publicity and express their feelings...
...The the alignment with the Allies and later to the rupture...
...But how different the vate reasons, which a genteel inquiry is now consider- situation is in France l There the instability of sucing, it simply desired the election of a candidate who cessive governments has been caused almost entirely was capitalizing upon popular middle-western resent- by a complex of foreign affairs, of which the debt ment of internationalism...
...repudiated...
...As a matter of 336 THE COMMONWEAL August 11, 1926 fact, we would have swept most of them aside had.-our' :soon been felt, though few had the courage to brave attitude toward Europe remained what it was in 1917...
...We say these two facts are problem is one of the most acute and important...
...They not be understood until this fundamental truth is borne are events of international importance and may be ex- in mind...
...ing that they could be overlooked...
...Margaret Widdemer 345 Week by Week 337 Miss Nobody Faces the West Ensuring the Primaries 340 Helen Walker 346 Free Speech and Its Limits Communications 348 Sveinbjorn Johnson 341 The Play R. Dana Skinner 349 As One Finding Peace (verse) Sister M. Madeleva 342 Books...
...But things are different in France...
...Whether or not it is righteous France also, which meantime faced the tremendous anger is a question to be settled by history...
...But we problems of domestic and international reconstruction must realize that it exists and colors the popular atwhich followed the establishment of peace...
...that the United States, refusing to sign It is this resentment which dictates the exaction of the Versailles Treaty and obligate itself to the League war debts, which prevents the affiliation of the United of Nations, had retired to isolation...
...Our own contemporary really not disappointment at the failure of the "four- prosperity may be pleasant, but it will embarrass the teen points" or grieved anxiety lest democracy had future if it is used selfishly, in total forgetfulness of not been rendered comfortably safe...
...the cause of politicians shrewd enough to reap profit But in general, this sentiment was rather popular in from the situation...
...Volume IV New York, Wednesday, August 11, 1926 Number 14 CONTENTS International Illusion 335 Hauntings (verse...
...Citizens interested in the conduct gradual pacification of Europe will be the fruit of a of their government will, it seems to us, pledge themsaner and more impartial understanding of the origins selves to three points of view: First, regardless of the of the war-an understanding already fostered by a legitimacy or practicableness of American war sentinumber of first-rate books and enquiries...
...colors of universal enemies...
...In and injustice are not to the point here...
...Be- fidence, and this in turn begets partisan acrimony, mob cause of political and economic circumstances, foreign hysteria, trade depression, and possibly revolution...
...About these the titanic role we were once brave enough to play...
...Was there any unprecedented reason Our currency would not depreciate even fractionally if for the hostility toward the tourists...
...really fanned into flame the underlying, silent resentEveryone saw, of course, that Mr...
...attitude toward it should have changed...
...THE COMMONWEAL A Weekly Review of Literature, The Arts, and Public Affairs...
...Apart from questhe same time that western wealth was digging deep tions likely to be asked on election day, there is no into its pocket to aid certain starving enemies of the reason why the debts should engross our attention...
...For ten years the collection of sums due us emplified here by the coincidence that noisy Parisian from foreign nations with whom we were allied in war crowds were hooting United States tourists at about has been a serious partisan concern...
...Its principle was tion and final consequences...
...momentary sober reflection soon discredited...
...Such fervor as was aroused derived its strength Operation of the Dawes Plan has made the introduc- from fantastic propaganda which experience and tion of American capital into the Reich imperative...
...Arguments about justice in the struggle for domestic party supremacy...
...None at all ex- we canceled them...
...Those who took advantage of the quires a sturdy imagination to insert a jagged nega- Versailles situation to campaign against the President tive into the sentence without adequate motivation...
...And finally, every reasoning person must see that no Indeed, a great number of them heartily concurred matter what geographical and financial fortunes may with the following observation by a Frenchman, pre- continue to safeguard our isolation, the hour will be a ferably left untranslated: "La faiblesse de M. Wilson dangerous one in which the horizon is marked with the etait d'avoir voulu titre, a lui seul, un Pape laique...
...For in- ment, the redemption of France from the iron fist of stance, the theory of Germany's sole responsibility, the its neighbor empire was unequivocally a movement myths of Belgian atrocities, and the bogey of the KaPser for the continuance of civilization...
...But change in our attitude regarding it is really a change the sources of his delusion were European, being for for the better...
...World Court...
...There is no resentment enough to prepare for a day of reckoning...
...obvious necessity for a deliberate and reasoned conOnly through this examination can Americans get a sideration of these affairs becomes, however, more clear and practicable idea of what has happened...
...Martha Bayard, Theodore Maynard, Thomas Walsh, H. L. S., Louise Howland 350 The Holy Order of Actors Thomas M. Schwertner 343 The Quiet Corner 353 INTERNATIONAL ILLUSION ERTAIN recent events look every American citi- The whole distressing business about the debts canzen squarely and questioningly in the face...
...Is western wealth aglow with philosophical addition to the tariff barrier across which goods come convictions against the Court...
...Despite all minor have all faded out of consciousness...
...titude toward Europe...
...Europe sworn to popular government which, after having sees no reason why we should harp so insistently upon chosen a chief executive on the strength of a pacifistic a financial obligation contracted under unusual circum- platform, was drafted wholesale into an army marchstances...
...the most part (it was believed) a shrewd "statesmanAfter a glorious moment when a vast army, landing, ship" which had cunningly trapped America into a solemnly reported, "Lafayette, we are here," it re- martial adventure...
...The most complete and sweeping cepting that francs were considerably cheaper that international charity might easily be offset by a slight morning...
...By no means: for pri- profusely, regardless of price...
...Wilson of us-no resentment, at least, to be compared with was at fault in the eyes of his opponents, but could that of war-time-because the Reich notices that any easily be, was easily, pushed out of the picture...
Vol. 4 • August 1926 • No. 14
