New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-11
IheLeagueof
Nations
<<FHE SATURDAY REVIEW"
Oondon) has no faith what.
IL ever in the much-discuss.o

League of Nations. Taking
as text recent declaration of Arthur
Henderson, the British labor leader and
Member of Parliament, that London
weekly writes:
mere is less in a league of nations that
is oreamt of in Mr.. Henderson's phjlosophy
or even in that of President Wilson. q. Sir
r. r. Smith showed in his address to the
New York bar on January II. How is til.
question of military service to be settled
since if one power has it and another h,.
ho' the' weak will always be at the mercy
OF the strong? Of the freedom of the sea.
"hen land powers might outvote sea DOW
ers What of the alteration of frontier.
ana nationalities in the course of history'
~ the problems of the air. when peaceful
factories could turn out in secret unlimited
quantities of war material And IL elc.
mentary questions such as these are IN.
answerable, what becomes of YOUR Leagu.
of Nations?
The paper then goes into lengthy
history of the old Amphictyonic League
that existed in Greece $500 years ago
to prove the worthlessness of any posi-
Die league of nations. It's sketch of that
alliance concludes as follows:
In the middle of the fourth century. B.
g., Thebes, having been successful in getting
the Spartans fined for their seizure OF the
Cadmea, saw an opportunity of using the
1paOno in no 49,
state of Phocis. A number of prominent
Phocians were fined for alleged sacregs
the league decreeing that if the fine were
not paid within the time prescribed Their
lands should be confiscated for the benefit
of Delphi.
"The-eupon the Phocians seized Delphi IL
self; the league met at Thermopyl9 and de-
clded that an amphictvonic army should
rescue the sacred city, whose treasures were
being used by the Phocians TO purchase new
allies III the north. Thessay. threatened
by this move, turned for help TO Philip Of
Macedon, and thus changed the history o.
the world
" hile Demosthenes urged the cause o.
liberty and Numbered out his phlppics
warning the Athcnians of the intention O.
Macedon to subjugate all Greece. the League
went on usual. The board of temple
builders met at Delphi; the amphictyonN
councl-with the trifling exception OF XIX
anti-Phocian state assembled as neloie,
Dorlans and Ionians sat side by side ahS
talked and talked and talked in the peacelu'
council chamber, and held the Py'n''"
games, while the world outside was weiu'
OF blood and confusion brought on it By 'a'
league"
All of which is made TO serve as pasN
for the following conclusions:
The crazy Declaration of LONDON w..
the fruit of the Hague Conference; the -;
of Macedon the fruit of the Amphie'o".
League. BY their fruits We shall know '"e"
is as true of leagues and conferences - ~.
men and states Has the experience Of ~,
past no value Cor T. future? Are we 10
tho Bourbons, forever learning no.""gs
but. unlike them. forever forgetting "a,
so, we shall form and rely upon zoe
of nations and talk and talk and TAIN -.
cry out, when it is too late. for inc ,..
GREETED whips of Independent states III ~ II
of the scorpions Of "allies" IN iessOss a,
nations who work in secret and ew,,;ts
openly with the penalties of s.uPs s.s
born of sloppy sentimentality, the o"sf'
of self-deception."