The Washington times., 1915-06-18
AMERICAS WAY BEST

Some way may be devised 70
keeping the world at peace in tn
future. but those at Philadelphi,
who have presented a plan to avoit
armed conflicts between nations ar,
blind to living facts. Even were i
not inconsonant with this country
traditional policy of refusing to en-
ter into entangling alliances will
foreign powers, which the organ
izers of the League to Enforce
Peace propose that we abandon, tc
adopt the measures recommended
would impose obligations upon the
United States wholly out of proper.
ton to the utmost advantages of.
fered.
Two international bodies, a court
and a conciliation commission, to
pass upon judiciable and non-judi-
ciable questions, respectively, and to
submit recommendations to the in.
terested powers, are suggested as
presenting a road to peace. The
disputant powers would be Obliged
to await the decisions of these
tribunals before resorting to war,
and if one of them should not wait,
but attack the other, then all the
nations signatory to the treaty.
would jointly make war upon the
offending member.
I'VE do not propose to force COM
pliance either with the courts iudg-
ment or the conciliation commits
slon's recommendations" says Mr..
Taft. The truce, he states, "will
cool the heat of passion and will
give the men of peace in each nation
time to still the jingoes."
1t is purposed to present the
league plan to each of the great
powers, but it is altogether unlike
ly that any will subscribe to it. It
would be difficult to prove to
America wherein she would profit
by such an arrangement. We are a
nation OF peace, and however much
we might wish Europe also to be
committed to pacific ways for the
settlement of grievances, we are not
SO desirous of maintaining peace in
Europe that we would send our navy
and armies to Europe to secure it.
Mr.. Taft and his associates have
overlooked, or ignored, the fact that
practically the entire world is op-
posed to Germany and Austria Hun
gary in the present war, but have
not re-established peace, although
nearly year, ard hundreds of thou
sands of lives and billions of wealth
have been expended. Such a treaty
as is proposed would either make
the world an armed camp, unlike
anything ever known before, or
cause some powers, eager to be-
lleve, as many would have the
United States believe, that a world
Utopia was at hand, to neglect their
tents and their swords, while there
surely would be others that could
not be deceived, but would 90
steadily ahead in the business of
arming and boarding supplies for
another struggle. Being prepared,
they might regard a scrap of paper |
with Indifference on the plea that
vital national interests transcribed |
every other consideration. 1t would
mean another world war with the
United States dragged in.
In 1914 the allied powers de-
clared Napoleon to be an enemy to
the public peace of Europe, and in
The treaty of Chaumont agreed not
10 sheathe their swords until peace
had been restored and the liberties
If Europe redeemed. This treaty
vas in force for twenty years, and
some of its fruits in the way of
peace were armed resist
lnce to patriotic uprisings in Italy
md Spain, and even as late as 1888
he rulers of Austria, Prussia, and
Russia reserved the right to inter-
'ene in France unless the revolu-
ionary movement was ended.
European ways are not the ways
# America. The United States will j
'e fulfilling her destiny completely
without engaging in any quixotic
md dangerous enterprise such as
would involve her responsibly in the
politics of Europe. Her example in
'eace, when her own rights are not
rampled upon, is better than a
lrawn sword. 1t is nobler far to
'e the light than the torch of the
world.