The Detroit times., 1917-01-27
j. S. MUST DECIDE SOON
BETWEEN ISOLATION AND
COSMOPOLITAN POLICIES
Issue Is Joined BY Plan
For World Peace
League
PROBLEM PUZZLES
ANTI MILITARISTS
Bv gibson GARDNER.


United States prepared 10 abandon
SITS historic policy OF isolation and
become member Of a league OF
nations 10 enforce international
Law?
This question must be answered
soon. l, will be The most import
ant question. from this country's
point OF view considered at the
peace conference conference
which will probably be IN progress
by next fall
President Wilson Is grappling
with the problem and would like the
benent OF the best thought in The
country The president. thru the
state department and with approx
al OF the senate. handles treaty re-
lations between the United states
and foreign countries. but when
anything so revolutionary as re
versal cf the nations traditions Is
contemplated. The President feels
that the whole country should con.
slider the subject gravely and fully
The suggestton OF League
OF Nations 20 enforce international
law comes from Great Britain. II
r. contained In a short paragraph
i'm the su Elemental note OF Balfour,
secretary for foreign affairs. re
ceived this week This reads
BEHIND international law and be.
hind all treaty arrangements for
preventing or limiting hostilities
some form OF international sanction
should be devised which would give
pause TO the hardest agEressor
international sanction" means an
alliance OF world powers backed by
a pooling OF military strength naval
and land. which would insure con
serted action go Quoll any disturb
ancc such pooling Of the navies
and armies OF the world implies
world court. not Carnegie peace
confab, but a tribunal made MP of
duly accredited representatives an
thoriEed TO speak and vote the In
terest Of tho country they repre-.
sent. and n would follow that the
DEGREES OF such tribunal would
he enforced by the full power of
all the nations in such alliance
The Ales expect naturally TO be-
gin such an international arrange
ment with the nations who are now
bound togCther 20 put down Ger
many an her Allies and. u tho Al
lies are successful in brea inc the
mower ri The Central Powers there
would be no serious opposition TO
such alliance. With tho United
States and few more OF the neu-
trail nations added the combination
would tc so great as 10 dominate
any individual or even combination
OF nations which might be moved
by selfish ambition 10 attempt TO go
IT alone. or TO form rival com
bination.
The antimiiiarists are puzzled
by this proposal Anything looking
toward the preservation Of the
worlds peace they favor. court
Of nations and arbitration machin.
cry. looks good 10 them But they
are I'm doubt ~ GO whether the
United States should pledge It's mil
itary cooperation for any and al
purposes approved b. majority of
the proposed combinations some
Of them suggests that The United
States 70 into such an alliance but
pledge only the nations moral In.
fuence TO the preservation ~ peace.
Those Who mako this argument say
an international tribunal such as
that p-cp sed would hnv" just the
same kind of power as tho United
States .rcrrc court which .in al
indicatinr d'spucs between states
has no wcr to enforce tts decree
but murt RELY on tho moral or the
pressur public opini-n 20 mako
sc dccrocs effective This Illus
tration not entirely saii facto~y.
~ b. evidenced by the drcrco 81 the
courl awardng Si3000ooo 10 be
paid bv virginia toJNest Nlfginia-
o decree which upio date has been
no more than "a scrap of paper
when the peace overtures and nc
gotlations begin the United States
will have 10 be- ready with dele.
gates instructed on all such qucs-
lions OF policy.