Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-08
PEOPLE Of AMERICA
LITTLE UNDERSTAND.
PROBLEMS OF PEACE
International Questions Con-
sldered by Nicholas
Murray Butler.
AMERICANS APPROVE
SELF-DETERMlNATION
Arc Also in Favor of Home
Rule for Ire
land.
AS TO LEAGUE or NATIONS
Socialists Would Use 1t to Destroy
All Sense OF Ma
tiOnality.
Socialists Would Use 1t to DESTROY
All Sense OF Ma
ti0nality.
nr EDWARD MARSHALL.

fsDN hhD hAtSHAE.I..
NEW YORK. December 7,-IIere Is
'ucio and Important statement Of
What confronts the peace conference.
Nicholas Murray Butter. president, of
Columbia University. and internationa,
expert. who gives II. is among those
IN America best qualified to discuss
the possible solution OF the world
problems which 20 soon will be under
oificial consideration AT Versailles
The American people approach the
peace conference in very fine and
broad minded spirit" said Mr. Butler,
Iut without understanding specific
policies which they should consider
and support and without any commit
me laen.g ,s.a!,.a'. to such pq!ieies The public
almost universally and. perhaps pur-
foseiy. couched in vague and gen
ciss telS ou,inea a"h o. The more speSac poll
OF course. not advanced on behalf %
the administration.
that the American people have been
hearing constantly. They are self
first relates TO the thousand year-oid
problem of nationality. the second to
the two thousand year-old problem OF
4 specific and highly important item
people believe in the self-determina-
nationality Involving national con-
sciousness and organization. national
sIadition trad .,eI and national eeonomIc ilfe
ctes permitting 1.-the czecho. s,oyaks.
tho Jugo-Slays and the Poles to or
ments and TO take M Their places in tho
family of nations. For this reason
they, have, applauded the return OF
turn of the Trentino to/1taly and OF
sectors of Macedonia. Thracc and Asia
,iinor, whicn have largely dominating
creisnty or the jurisdiction of Greece.
HOME RULE MUST NOT
WEAKEN BRITISH EMPIRE;
American opinion overwhelmingly
favors home rule for Ireland; but the
gard with dismay any attempted ap-
plication to this problem OF the prin-
ciple OF self-determination which
would disrupt even weaken the
Iiritish empire. since in every case.
except as to the still unsolvcd prob
lem Of Ireland, the British imperial
the Matching Qua OF new. free and
self-governing peoples
so far as the principle of self
determination Is concerned. therefore.
neither timid on the ono hand nor
chauvinistic on the other.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
PLANNED AT VIENNA CONGRESS
The possibility of league OF ma
lions has been discussed for centuries,
and probably Metternich and Talley-
rand thought just such league was
being organized at the congress OF
Vienna l04 years ago. The founda-
tons of that structure were insecure,
hbn-ever. for it was built on the shift
ing sands OF reaction of Imperialism.
Of international rivalry and OF military
power.
fcrent notions as to the league OF
nations have found currency: the one
is that supported by orthodox So
cialsts. and has in mind the destruc.
characteristics OF nationality In order
10 bring about what | have sometimes
called colloidal or jellyiike inter
is the notion of the Lenines and
Trotzkys, of the T.icbknechts and the
l. w. W. .sympathizers.. The achieve
zaton to an end. make order impossi-
Bile, destroy liberty and put mankind
back at the foot Of the ladder. from
which 1t began to mount when the
Roman. empire fell to pieces.
THE other. notion of the league Of
nations involves what l have called
this each nation remains seif-conscious.
self-determincd and ambitious in its
own right and takes its place. in new
cnt eIement-like single crystal in
an ordered group Of crystals.
I'm this case the group or league
cording as the nations that compose it
become stronger and more powerful.
LEAGUE MUST RE BUILT
ON STRONG NATIONS
True internationalism must be built
on the union of strong and self-respect-
ing nations. False internationalism
would weaken or destroy together
those nations which accept it.
The American people. will have
nothing to do with the false interna-
knecht and the I. w. W. They know
perfectly we'll that these men are enc
mics of n democratic republic. whether
States. On the other hand. the Ameri-
can people will support. not with unani-
nifty by any means, but by substan-
tal majority. W., ,weil-considered and
league Of nations which shall be bascd
upon the principles of true interna-
tionalism. #-.
example Of the Constitution OF the
United states should be followed in
organizing this league. that precise and
definite articles OF government should
stature, executive and judiciary. should
be- erected, and that the part of the
nations in the new organization should
be similar to that OF the States in the
United States.
There are two difficulties in the way
Of SO ambitious program. The first
is that the public opinion OF the world
ond Is that some Of the necessary con-
ditions Of success which were present
4 In the case of the United States would
Of nations The United States met With
aGcentury, OF difficulties In spite OF
land unity Of legal system. These three
we Sts Ia,