demoralization. Bolshevism was everywhere
spreading like an infection, from Russia. The
new German Government was scarcely able
to maintain itself against the attacks of the
radicals; it was doubted by some good judges
whether there would be any government in Ger-
many to sign the treaty when it was ready to be
signed. On March 23rd a Bolshevist revolu-
tion took place in Hungary, and Bavaria
was setting up a Soviet government. A des-
perate rebellion broke out in Egypt. Great
strikes were in progress or threatened in Eng-
land; the want of food, and the consequent
unrest, were acute in Austria and all through
southeastern Europe. At one time we counted
up fourteen small wars in various parts of
Russia, Poland, and the Balkans. A wave of
pessimism, which Americans, so far away and
so safe, never felt, swept over Europe and
found its blackest expression at Paris. No
one who was there could escape it: it seemed
that the world was in a race between peace
and anarchy--with anarchy winning.

A kind of unreasoning panic developed over
the delay in completing the Treaty. It did
no good to argue that the problems were of
unparalleled difficulty--involving a reset-

-52-