The sun., 1919-04-13

take him as "A sure guide because his
diagnosis of every International question
since the beginning of the war has been
erroneous and because he has, himself,
stated that because he thought a thing
the American people thought that thing,
and that therefore he was going TO tell
Europe that America thought as he did.
"If you and are to take this kind
of mental process as sufficient sanction
for vigorous confidence on our part that
the proposed covenant will accomplish
the desideratum OF peace fear we shall
be resting our hopes upon conscious
ness which by its own statement can
neither be convincing nor enlarging.
1.-THE proposed covenant of nations as
presented for our consideration in
February was declared to be perfect. As
soon as the manifest errors involved in
1t were brought TO light. work was i'm
medately begun upon perfectlng its per-
lection, and meeting the objections reso-
lutely and intelligently raised by mem
bers of the United States Senate. Lodge,
Knox, Borah, Wadsworth, Calder and
others, as well as by those American
statesmen of trained International ex-
hperience, and advocates, for some years.
of some international entente. Messrs.
Root, Hughes and Taft
|
he spoke in Boston and in New York and
to which he said the American people
gave adherence because when he sampled
| himself, he was typical American. and
\ he favored II. Proposed amendments as
suggested by the Senators and others
named above are now under consldera-
ton at Paris. We read that Mr. Wilson
will accept these amendments on tho
part of America If he were so confident
of the perfection of the covenant as
originally drawn and has now agreed TO
vital changes the doctrine that the
| league OF Nations should be accepted on
faith, seems brutally shattered.
''Ths United States of America has
been asked to maoes through tho agency
of its President, a covenant wherein il
is provided by Article 16, that IL the
United States should not abide by any
/ decision OF the executive council re-
garding matter which might be vital to
its very life. ipso facto she shall b.
deemed to have committed an act OF
war against all the other members of the
league.
The United States has lived and
grown as no other nation has grown in
spirit as well as in material progress
through the popularity Of its vital in
stitution, the equality of man. Its Gov
Ut W uHtil TeCeHlly
has never been looked upon by the PEG.
pie as n dispensing agent for those who
are unwilling TO face the battle OF If,
as 1t is, little father to care for up
standing Americans, II master who mus
concede favor 10 disorderly servants who
may upset his household. In this re
spect the Government of the United
States differs from every other Governs
nent in the world.
Bismarck advised Kaiser Wilhelm
to introduce State socialism for tho pres
ervation Of the Hohenzollern dynasty
the Government OF England Is constantly
threatened with upheaval unless certain
demands of its citizens are compiled
with; France was compelled, in order t,
run her railroads, to make soldiers o
her employees; Russia under her presen
government is affirming the inequalit,
of man as a principle
In no nation in Europe has the mi
nority any rights that the matorit,
through its agents in power are com
PEELED to respect. No life, no propert,
Is secure by any such instrument as gu
Constitution.
What guarantee have we that TO
morrow the representative of Englan,
may not be Henderson,: of France
Thomas; of Italy, Giolitti?
i Anu what or Germany and Russi;
when they are admitted to the council
3 chamber? 1t is reasonable, under sucl
conditions, to assume that IL the wa
between the right Of an individual (
i've and the demand that the individual
I must die and submit 10 autocratic gov
eminent, comes, as 1t must, a unaui
nous decision against the United state
would he certain.
II the Peace Conference believes tina
there Is specific work for America to d
In europe let the conference state thq
work In concrete terms, and Americ
VIII determine whether she will under
take 1t or whether she will not. Americ
= VIII rot shirk. She has proven that. Blu
l no man can bind her to support a caus
3 not yet disclosed