-6-                             
 
 
 
States to cooperate with European democracies. The stabilization matter
suggests much, and increasing cooperation with the United States
suggests more. But can our people ever recognize the importance of
lowering tariffs for cooperating countries? Wilson's second method of
bringing about world peace was freer trade. His first one was naturally
the guarantee by larger powers of the borders and rights of smaller
ones. Both of these have been violated almost regularly since 1920 and
consequently there has been no real League of Nations.
 
 
This long story may not be altogether right; but it represents the best
information I have been able to gather. One thing is certain: all
well-informed people here, even distinguished Germans, think modern
civilization is in grave danger, and they repeat their opinions to me:
the cooperation of the United States with European democracies is the
only hope we have. How can you lead our people to a correct
understanding of things when they allowed a minority of the Senate
(contrary to the intentions of the writers of our Constitution) to
defeat Wilson's marvellous democratic foreign agreements in 1919, even
if the Treaty of Versailles was bad? Certainly it was nothing like the
treaty of Brest-Litovsk the year before. If you could only get the
great nations to see things as they are and apply their coercive power
to any leader who wishes to go back to the fifteenth century morals'.
That would be what Henry IV of France tried to do, what Jefferson hoped
for in 1807 and what Wilson almost accomplished in 1918-19.
 
 
Sincerely yours,
William E. Dodd (signature)