The sun., 1919-08-17
A LEAGUE FOR FUTURE WAR.
Former Governor Mccall on the Du-
ties of Straight Americanism.


To THE EDITOR ov THE suN-Sir: As
ono OF those very strongly Of the opin-
lon that the time has come for con-
cert OF the nations against war / have
felt that our acceptance Of the proposed
league should be conditioned upon mod
incations chiefly relating to the inde-
pendence Of the United States and its
equality among the nations. The league
will be under a sufficient handicap on
account OF the general provisions OF the
treaty without having America stripped
OF any of those vital attributes which
have helped her to become the great
est pacific force the wsrld holds to-day.
One hesitates to speak in detail Of what
cur allies are taking from the peace.
We wish them all well. but we must
be filled with dismay when the nations
Of Europe have broken with all the ira
ditions of their statesmanship and when
an order is proposed at the price OF
hopelessly upsetting the equilibrium OF
the world. II the results Of the peace
shall abide the future imperiallst of
some of the allied nations will fondly
look back upon this period, in Its acqui-
sition of territory and permanent trans
fer OF trade, as upon his country's
golden age.
One of the great empires which for
a thousand years has played fore
most part in the government of Europe
has been torn limb from limb and in
its place are established new nations
founded upon doubtful ethnological lines
and coming into the world fighting each
other. That fate is visited upon Aus
tria which century ago was proposed
for France
No sympathy need be wasted upon
Germany. AS to her. It is what Lloyd
George calls a terrible peace. but 1t is
terrible not merely in It's present aspects
bur for the enormous mass Of hate that
it viii transmit to the future. To up
hold such a peace and safeguard the
sroils of 50 many empires will tax all
tho resources of a league OF nations,
which would have no light task to pre-
serve the peace in a normal world and
not have strapped upon II the burden
OF this new order. We must face the
fact that we are in danger OF having
mere league Of victors rather thai
worldwide league of nations and
peace that must be propped up by the
bayonets Of a minority of the Caucasian
and a small minority of the yellow race.
That the arrangement now proposed
lnsringes upon the sovereignty OF this
nation need not be argued The French
treaty makes more explicit the view
that it's foremost architects entertained
Of the function of the league. Under
that. treaty our obligation to send
H. of he
command OF the league and to termi-
nate when. IL ever, the same power shall
release us from IT, To delegate to an
alien authority the power to decide
when we shall fight and when we shall
cease lighting is to surrender the very
plume and Greet of sovereignty
Our nation asks nothing: 1t will take
nothing. But our brave soldiers did
not fight to yield up to Europe and Asia
that independence which was so greatly
won and has been SO greatly kept by
their countrymen of other times. Seri-
cusly to impair that would be an ap-
pa hing calamity even to the peace OF
the world. and Il would be to break faith
with the past as II has never been
broken by a nation except under the
most extreme conpulsion.
II the time for internationalism has
come evidence OF 1t should not appear
in America alone; but the other nations
are as intensely national as ever. II
they remain national while we become
international and dissipate our ener-
giles over other lands we shall soon be
only a free horse for the world to ride.
Our eyes will be forever turned upon
Europe and what remains of America
will do its thinking in terms Of the
Rriton and Teuton and Gaul and de-
generate into a mere intellectual prov
lnce.
II the rights of America need safe
guarding or the league may be i'm
proved Il Is the obvious duty Of the
Senate to propose the requisite changes.
| The power Of negotiating treaties is
conhded to the President. The practice
that has at times been followed OF
choosing members OF the Senate as his
agents has been gravely condemned by
the greatest Senators as an infringe
nent upon the Senate's power judicially
to review But that power OF review
is as constitutional and as vital as the
power of negotiation. 1t was never
more vital than in this crisis. 1t now
deyolves upon the Senate to determine
to what it can give its advice and con-
sent as the Senate OF the American peo-
ple SAMUEL w. MCCALL.
WINCHESTER. Mass, August Is.