New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-30

Vic pui poSc Ol covering salaries Ol
professors.
league itself or tribunal it sets up.
! Whcreupon the litigants shall be free
to obey or disobey, as may suit their
own hearts sweet content. OF what
avail is such a thing as that? 1t is
utterly innocuous. 1t accomplishes
nothing
The third plan calls for league Of
nations with jurisdiction either by
itself or through the instrumentality
or court to determine all interna-
tlonal controversies. 1t is to be backed
by an international army powerful
enough to compel all nations to obey
the decree rendered.
at is, therefore, perfectly clear
'(a) That by entering such league
we surrender to European potentates
and powers a part of our sovereignty.
"(b) We violate our Constitution by
surrendering to foreign nations the
power reserved to Congress to declare
war and to make peace.
"(cl We take from the American
people the right Of self government and
compel them to submit the fate of their
country to the decision of tribunals
composed of aliens representing for
eign governments and peoples.
"(d) We compel our citizens to serve
in foreign wars by the orders of the
representatives Of foreign governments.
"(e) We bind ourselves to assist in
the creation Of an international stand
ing army. which to be effective must be
strong enough to ovcrwhelm any ma
ton, including America, and which Will,
in all probability. be commanded by q
foreign general.
"HoW can any man advocate so mon
strous a proposition? Who dares take
from the American people the right
to control America? Who would trans
fer the fate Of the only real republic
on earth to the arbitramcnt of foreign
despots, Presidents, Sovietes or Bal
sheviks ?
eve cannot ask that the other mem
bers Of the league shall come to our
defence in our controversy without ac-
cCrting the reciprocal obligations to 60
to their defence in their controversies.
This at once makes us a party to every
quarrel and combatant in every war
of the world
"Thus far have referred chiefly to
the nations of Europe. What of Ash
India, Egypt, Persia, South Africa? Are
these people to vote on American poll
cies?
Still, again, how are the nations to
be represented in this league? Shall
each nation have the same vote? Shall
the vote of Bulgarian king Offset the
ballot Of the United States9
"Who Will Dictate to United States, -
"Shall the representation be in ac-
coldancc with the population of the
nations? Truly here we made bed Of
sorrows
"India has a population Of 3l5,0O0.-
COO There may be those who have so
far scaled the intellectual heights that
the United States should be surrcn-
dored to such a tribunal, but as fol
me, living in those low and practical
levels usually occupied by human be-
ihgs, I decline to surrender one whit
O. American liberty INTO the hands OF
any foreign potentato or power what
Socver
"Thc proposition advanced by al
these theorists is that in case of con
troversy, either war shall never b.
made or that it shall be postponed 70
a year. during which time negotiation;
, shall proceed.
"Recently a Japanese syndicate wa
lr the act of acquiring a great body 0
land commanding Magdalena Bay, on,
OF the finest ports Of the Pacific. |
was believed this Japanese syndicate
was but a mask for the Japanese gov
eminent That may not have beer
true, but 1t may at any moment be
GENE true.
"a resolution was introduced in thu
> Senate demandin~ that the transfer q
r these lands should not be made.
= there had not been Immediate &C
/ quiescencc, beyond question our nav
would have entered Magdalena Ba
, without much notice or hesitation.
'Why Barter Security"
"Now suppose that Japan had bee
t in deadly earnest and We had bee
bound by some treaty or league to wal
, twelve months before taking action
{ BY that time Magdalcna Bay coul
| have been placed under the guns o
impregnabc fortrosses and 10000
Japanese soldiers landed upon Mexican
| soil 1T probably would have cost Il
= hundreds of thousands Of lives to eff
: feet their dislodgement.
4 those policies under which she ha
> come to be the first nation of th
world? Shall she quit her position o
. Independence?
"What thoughtful man is willing t
barter our present security for plac
r in temple of fancy constructed o
= airy cobwebs by Missionaries, who re
life?
t "'Thc League of Nations 1t wi
$ not stand the acid test Of reason O
. experience"
d Professor Franklin II. Gddngs said
= "To avoid disappointment vie shall d
we'll in rejecting upon a league o
G rations to distinguish between tn
), leagues that arc being promoted am
), the league that Will probably emerg
from the deliberations Of the peac
. conference
| "In human history. so far, only tw
ways have ever been found to unit
8 and hold together in working com
{ bnation political entities that have Ell
r joyed independence and pursued diver
C,rt policies 1t has been achieved b.
= conquest and the absolute rule of
conoueror. Such was the Roman En-
pirc. 1t has been achieved by a draw
ing together for mutual protection o
-, kindred peoples alike in language. law
and purposes. Such was the more per
y feet union of the American states afte
the Revolutionary War
at is reasonably certain that tn
people of the United States and tn
Entente Allies are fully aware that
working league Of nations must hav
as its nucleus and organizing power Tn
' group of civilized nations that under
l stand one another that have common
ideals and sympathies, and can there
fore freely and without too much exer
ton of sheer will power cooperate il
common undertakings. In this grou
there IS an inner nucleus. and it con