Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-30

IF YOU are to take the London and pro-
i vncial newspapers as n guide 10 what IL
going on I'm the United States now you
would learn only two things The first Is
that the United States Is growing rich sell
ing things TO the fighting nations. The sec
ond is that the United States is spending
all its spare time trying to make peace
Every day there is at least ono pacilst item
printed and usually there Is no other news,
so the average Brlton gets the impression
that the whole country is in the grasp OF
German agents" who are trying to snatch
away the fruits of victory from England
Just at present the fruit is n little sour. hut
no one believes that the bad time VIII ias'
beyond the first of the year.
But there are persons who think over the
peace reports from the United States ana
again and again they have asked me how
the United States can even suggest league
of nations. a man who has held Il minor
Office I'm the United States and now holuS
"A moro important office in one of the gov
ernment departments put the question 10
me and then gave me his opinion. AS nearly
as | can remember these are his WORDS
"Do the people OF the United States ever
take the trouble to think about what they
are saving? Some of your finest men
IoweI Taft, Wilson Eliot--all seem to be
I'm favor of having all the great nations or
the world unite to preserve peace, or even
10 enforce Il against a nation which chooses
10 violate tho law. DO they realize that
that means Russia and Turkey mixing into
the affairs of the United states ana CuDaF
And IL means the United States pledging
itself TO send troops into the Balkans In
case of a war between Austrla-Hungary and
Greece?
THAT isn't ALL" he went on. First, you
give up the Monroe Doctrine. absolutely
because YOU can't expect the other nations
of the world TO accept your interest-f
nothing more-in their business II you put
a Seep-uut' sign over your own gardens,
Then you have 10 make yourself acquainted
with all the complicated problems OF the
Near Fast and the Far East OF Africa Al
bania and Anatolla. and you must be ready
not only to give a vote on these matters,
but also to have the people OF the country
support that vote.
Americas Isolation
"Now. honestly. I don't believe You win
do IL I don't believe that the United states
would he able TO keep that kind OF an agree
ment. and hope she won't make that kind
OF agreement I am not Rlluding TO your
course in connection with Belgium because
l think / understand that your course was
the only possible one for you l am oaslng
my conclusion on only one thing-that the
United States knows little about the prob
lens of Europe. You never had the need OF
thinking about them Neither did We as
matter OF fact. What do you think our peo-
ME knew or cared about Serbian We did
10 us to think about France as the other
great liberal country OF Europe, And that
goes deeper than the governing classes,
There really Is a fellow-feeling between the
two nations But with what nhUon nave
YOU In the United States real community
of Interest? You have a commercial inter
est In common with South America but you
are not the same people, You have spir-
final interest In common with u.s. but you
haven't developed that and ! am sorry 20
say, we haven't either. You were telling me
that some people report that the United
states has forfeited the respect OF the
world. Never believe IL What she has lost
Is the chance TO come into Intimate connec-
lion with the best part OF the world-as We
look at IL But / don't say that she ought
10 have gone 10 war FOR that alone The
trouble Is that with these great nations
knitting themselves closer and closer, the
United States grows more ana more lonely
And she talks like a foolish cAlld about a
IeasiIa OF nations when she Is, perhaps. the
only nation in the world which has never
experienced the simplest kind OF an alliance,
qhere YOU are, It's a bit pessimistle but
am afraid It Is the truth
1 do not know whether II rs the truth
or not but | have quoted TINS man In
hll because he knows America better than
most Engllshmen do and yet his opinion
does not diner from that OF tue less in
structed The League 20 Enforce Peace Is
taken very seriously aefeso tneen 50 that
a claim has been put In for Ylscount Grey
as the sole author and natentee Of the idea
tons before President Wilson spoke OF ~
n Is recognized that there can be no ef-
fectiye league unless the United States 3 Ia
n because the DATED states alone eau
compose the dinersnees ana settle the iris
cations which are ceFtain @ ez-st between
ihe tWo sets of bellieerents if the United
states lineluding sQpfa aneeica) stayed