The sun., 1918-07-17
THE ESSENTIALS OF A LEAGUE OF NA7IONS THAT WILL
NOT BE BROKEN


There are projects that exist in a
shadowy form in an atmosphere OF
tepid idealism, admired by those who
see that IL possible they would be de-
sirable. From time to time an attempt
! is made to embody them In material
form and make them Of practical use
in national or international politics
1t is then discovered that what APP
peared as an ideal to be wholly desira-
Ole and amiable cannot be of practical
use unless We are ready to subject
ourselves to some limitations or disci-
pline that may be inconvenient, and
unless we are prepared to overcome
some difficulties that were not at FIRST
sight apparent. The ideal Is found to
have In fact q stern and disagreeable
as well as an easy and amiable side to
II. Thereupon a STORM beats against
It; those who never thought 1t desira-
ble--for there are intellects to which
most ideals seem dangerous and tenn
peraments to which they are offensive
and who had previously treated 1t
only with contempt in the abstract,
offer the fiercest opposition TO It as a
practical proposal; many Of its sup
porters are paralyzed by tho difficult
aspects Of It. which they had not pre-
viously considered. and the project re-
cedes again into the region Of shadows
or abstract resolutions.
Ideals May Change With War.
This. or something like this, has
hitherto been the history Of the ideal
that has now become associated with
the phrase "A League Of Nations:
but 1t does not follow that tho history
Of this or Of other ideals will be the
same after the war as before II. There
is more at stakein this war than the ex-
istence Of individual states or empires
or the fate Of a continent; the whole
OF modern civilization Is at stake. and
whether II will perish and be sub
merged as has happened to previous
civilizations Of older types, or whether
It will live and progress depends upon
whether the nations engaged in this
war and even those that are onlookers
learn the lessons that the experience
OF the war may teach them. 1t must
be with nations as with individuals:
in the great trials Of life they must
become better OF worse-they cannot
stand still They must learn and profit
by experience and rise to greater
heights or else sink lower and drop
eventually into the abyss. And this
war Is the greatest trial Of which
there Is any record in history. II the
war does not teach mankind new les
sons that will 60 dominate the thought
and feeling OF those who survive II
and those who succeed the survivors
a. to make new things possible. then
the war will be the greatest catas-
trophe as well as the most gr1evous
trial and suffering OF which mankind
has any record.
Therefore 1t does not follow that q
League OF Nations to secure the peace
Of the world will remain impossible
because it has not been possible hith-
erto, and l propose in this paper to
consider shortly. to state rather than
to examine (for II would take a long
time to examine thoroughly the con-
ditions that have not been present
before and that are present now or
may soon be present and that arc ss-
eaptIal 40 tho eoD,,a ~ Nofion~ o. 60
become effective. These conditions
appear to me to be as follows:
1. The idea must be adopted with
earnestness and conviction by the
executive heads of states. II must
become an essential part Of their prac-
teal policy, one OF their chief reasons
for being or continuing to be respon
sible for the policy Of their states
They must not adopt It only to render
lip service to other persons whom 1t IL
inconvenient or ungracious to Ills
please. They must lead and not fol-
low; they must compel II necessary
and not be compelled.
President Wilson's Advantass.
This condition was not present be-
fore the war; to what extent is 1t pres
ent now? 1t is not possible to an
swer this question fully. but It can be
answered certainly and affir1natively as
regards President Wilson, the Execu-
tive head Of the United States. and
this alone Is sufficient to give new life
and purpose to the idea Of League Of
Nations. President Wilson and his
country have had in this matter the
great advantage OF having been for
more than two years and a half, before
April, 1917, able to observe the war
as neutrals, free from the intense
anxiety and effort that absorb all the
thought and energy OF belligerents.
They were able not only to observe,
but to reflect and to draw conclusions,
One Of the conclusions has been that
II the world OF which they form an i'm
portant part is to be saved from what
they consider disaster, they must en-
ter the war against Germany: an
other has been that. II national liberty
there must be a league OF nations to
secure them. 1t must not be sup
posed from this that the Governments
OF the Allies are less ready TO draw.
or have not already drawn. the same
conclusion from the experience OF the
war; but their countries have been at
war all the time. They have been
fighting, Il Is true, for the same ideal
of national and human liberty as the
United States, but fighting also for
the immediate preservation OF ma
In III