Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-10
EX-PRES|DENT TAFT
URGES NATIONS LEAGUE
1t is Inevitable, He Says; Enlarge,
ment of Present Conceptions,
Oscar S. Straus' View.

Baltimore, Md, Dec. 10.-A league
of nations to enforce peace was strongly
urged as one of Americas aims at the
Paris conference last night by ex-President
Taft before a great meeting OF the dele
gates of the Southern Commercial Con-
gress.
Other speakers were Oscar S. Straus
of New York, chairman Of the o.
operating committee OF the congress,
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, president
of Columbia University, and Edward
Filene of Boston.
INV feeling about the League of Ma
tions,' said Mr.. Taft, ''is that the stars
in their course are revolving TO make 1t
inevitable. There is much discussion by
statesmen, who refer us to the time OF
Washington and who warn us of en-
tangling alliances. But what are we IN
now, ] am reminded OF the Texan who,
when our Philippine policy and our ten
deucy toward expansion were crticizeu,
declared we are done expanding
Eve can't escape it. We went into
this war because we were driven into It,.
And we had to be driven because OF that
very policy of avoiding entangling
alliances.
THE PAhAhOonI obshlA@
''This league of nations to enforce
peace doesn't claim any patent or trade
mark We are glad to have everybody
support it. We don't care, what be
thinks about other things, so long rs he
favors the league idea. But what we do
object to is being held responsible for
internationalism IN the sense that cult
denies nationalism.
E'You have got to have a league with
force enough to say to all those small
nations: We do not propose to let you
start q confiagration that will destroy
this peace that we have endured so In
finitely much to bring about. | say TO
YOU that unless such league emerges
from the conference at Paris the whole
thing is a failure. / don't think 1t is
going TO be a failure-that is why | say
TO the gentlemen at Washington; Bet
ter get on the band wagon
ENDURING PEACE PROBLEM.
Oscar S. Straus Of New York, in an
address on The Problem of Enduring
Peace" discussed the proposed League
of Nations.
: Whether half of the youth of Eu-
rope. together with the precious frac-
ton of ours, shall have died IN vain, or
for benehcent and lsstlng purpose,
will depend upon the measure OF wisdom
with which our allies and we solve the
difficult problem of peace" he said
1T will be urged that, IN order to
bring about an association or league Of
free nations. with adequate power TO
compel the adjustment OF international
differences by means other than war,
nations must renounce nationalism or
The plain answer is,
they will not have to renounce, but en-
large, their conception of natlonalism,
so as TO make it more nearly accord
with the true grandeur Of nations and
with their responsibility to one another,
so as to insure respect for reciprocal ma
tional nights, not, as heretofore, on a
basis of the might OF esch. but Of the
might Of all for the rights of all
"This is the al-important problem
that will confront the nations at the
Peace Congress. This problem IS re-
rarded in three different aspects by as
many groups Of scholars, publcists, and
statesmen, and their followers In the
several nations.
''The first group Let US can the Con-
who are always the back
and believe what has |
failed of accomplishment In the past |
cannot be made effective IN the future. |
They maintain that, instead OF an en- |
lightened internaGonalism, the nations |
must intensity their nationalism and |
build ever stronger their military and |
naval effectiveness, and be ever ready |
for attack and defense.
THE sTAND-PATTERs.
THE second group, for the lack Of |
Z better term, we may call the Stand /
To,sr x-bn xT-lYEo Ia 4
need and desirability OF 8 higher stand |
ard Of morals IN international relation
ships, maintain that this cannot be |
attained by any international restraints, |
and that all treaties ernbodying such |
checks and restraints Will be broken /
Whether they realize IL or not they /
array themselves on the side Of Machia-
velli, and as uphoiders Of the barbaric |
doctrines preached and put forth by |
Treitschke and Bernhard
The third group are the New Ma /
tlonaiists who, fully mindful OF the er-
rors and Shortcomings of the past, are
determined 10 profit by the extraordi- |
nary opportunities Of the present and |
to build upon q hrner foundation /
more enduring structure than has ever
1eea erected TO safeguard the future /
against national aggression and con-
quest They maintain Il at the basis
if cooperation made necessary to Sc
sure victory should be applied to the
of peace.
WARNS AGAINST PRECEDENT.
"In Americs it viii be said, as IT
has already been said, both in and out
If Congress, that We have a traditional
policy, laid down by the Fathers. en-
,odied in Washington farewell ad-
iress, regarding entangling alliances and
he Monroe Doctrine If we are to |
,e progressive nation we must not let
,ur worsLip of the past harden into a
etish and chain us to the past. We
must interpret the American policy un-