Evening star., 1918-11-18
WORLD PEACE HOPE
BECKONSPRES|DENT
Chief Goal of Proposed Trip
Abroad Is Formation of
League of Nations.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1918. BY N. 7. Evening Post, Inc
President Wilson expects to go
abroad soon after he has delivered his
annual address to Congress in De-
asmber. That is the general impress
don which prevails in executive quar-
tHa and everything points to it as
xhs final decision Of the President.
which ought to be made known in a
1sv days
Analysing tho many and varied
sptnions which have been expressed
a. to the wisdom Of Mr.. Wilson's
going. the majority of those that op-
pose the trip are concerned over the
need for the Presidents participa-
tion in numerous reconstruction con-
fefenoes at home.
Unless there is much more
weighty reason than has hitherto
been expressed, the newspapers and
individuals who have made public
COfuIILcnI On lHc pIOpOSeu JouAASJ Oh q
inclined against it. But there is
moro weighty reason. beside which
even the pressure of domestic affairs
Is relatively unimportant- That rea.
son Is the formation, once and for all, OF
. league Of nations.
fundamentals Are Overlooked.
: So much has happened to bring re-
lief from the bloodshed of four and a
half years that the public mind has
become for the moment concentrated
on the settlement Of perplexing ques-.
tions growing out of this war, and
lesser attention has been given to
the fundamental causes of this and
other wars. The peace delegates
themselves will be invested with the
duty Of working out the details OF
the settlement Of this war-indeed. 1T
is a mere matter of enforcing the
United States will have decided. But
there is a larger question interesting
not simply belligerents. but neutrals
the world Overland that is the COM
position of the league of nations.
The President wants to see the
league of nations organized not after
; the peace settlement itself is Effected
as a kind of academic combination Of
nations such as The Hague confer
ences proved to be-but as living
association Of peoples who will have
bound themselves to prevent war by
mutual cooperation. Neutrals will
have to be admitted to the discus
sion, too. Mr.. Wilson has been re-
garded as the spokesman not merely
of the thought of the United States,
but of the pan-American family of ma
tions.
Latin America Looks to q. S.
The Monroe doctrine, which has
been SO much misunderstood in Cen
trail and South America because
America did not obligate herself by
specific convention to refrain from
taking the territory of Latin Ameri-
can countries, has been better under
stood during the Wilson administra-
tion because of the unselfish policy
of the American government in Mex
leo and the insistence of President
Wilson on a rectification of the wrong
done Colombia in Panama, as well as
American treaty. The peoples of Gen.
trail and South America look to the
United States to express at the peace
conference their ideals and wishes.
upon the moral power of strong ma
tions to exert an influence in their
behalf. There Is no abandonment of
the Monroe doctrine involved in
league OIL HdtlOHS5--ThlHCT, dH cAlcH-
sion of the principle around the globe,
SO that no nation may practice ag-
sression against neighboring coun-
try or its resources.
Many are the perplexing problems
which would be involved in an extern
sion of the Monroe doctrine. The
United States has felt a friendly in
terest in the welfare of nations within
it's sphere of influence" but never has
the American government under this or
~Y~ .vrfc
trade agreements which would exclude
European nations from southern mar
kets- The sphere of influence has been
merely protecting arm-never an in
suument for selfish aggrandizement
On that basis there probably never will
idea. oven in q league Of nations.
Exchange Of Viewpoints Essential.
But the necessity for an exchange
Il viewpoints on the league of ma
items is the foremost subject in the
mind Of the President. as revealed in
recent speeches, as wen as in other in
formal ways. The words Of Mr. Will
key to the situation. He said, on Sep
tember 81:
"As see it. the constitution of that
league of nations and the clear defini-
ton OF its objects must be a parts,
in sense. the most essential part-of
the peace settlement itself
1t cannot be formed now. If formed
row 1t would be merely a new al
lance confined to the nations associ-
ated against common enemy 1t is
not likely that it could be formed
after the settlement. 1t is necessary
to guarantee the peace; and the peace
cannot be guaranteed as an after
thought The reason. to speak in
plain terms again, why it must be
guaranteed Is that there will be
parties to the peace whose promises
have proved untrustworthy. and
means must be found in connection
With the peace settlement itself to re-
move that source of its insecurity.
The President has been asked by
European statesmen to come to Eu-
rope. They realize as much as he
does the need for some kind Of asso-
citation. They do not know how far
President Wilson would be willing to
go to see a league established that
would insure peace. How would the
peace be insured. Shall there be large
standing armies and large navies OF a