The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-21
Washington, Monroe and Roosevelt.

All Americans will be able to stand
with Mr. Taft when he says that we
should treat the league of nations as
something in its purpose to be desired
and should lend our thoughts mot to de-
yising and imagining objections, but to
finding alternative substitutes in its
structure which viii not be subject TO
objections. A league of nations for the
assurance of world peace is certainly a
thing to be desired The question is
whether league, in a certain form would
be in reality an assurance of peace.
In the condition of general doubt in
which the merely rhetorical advocacy of
league has left the people, they are all
likely to welcome, and also to be greatly
moved by the last editorial of Mr.. Roose-
welt in the Kansas City Star, which hap
pens to be on this very subject. There
in noble words, the American people have
a farewell address from this greatest
leader of recent times which is worthy
in many respects to stand with the fare
well address Of Washington, which up
to this time has been the guiding star
of our foreign policy. These may be con
sidered the farewell words of Roosevelt
to the people, and they should be the
beacon light of our future international
proceedings. Emphasizing the objection
of Washington to merely artificial" con-
nection with Europe's quarrels, they
point out the natural connection of our
guardianship of the Monroe doctrine
with the similar duty on the part of
European powers on their own side of
the water:
would it not be well to begin with
the league which we actually have in ex-
istence, the league Of the allies, who have
fought through this great war? Let us
at the peace table see that real justice is
done as among those allies, and that,
while the sternest reparation is demand
ed from our foes for such horrors as
those committed in Belgium, northern
France, Armenia, and the sinking of the
Lusitania, nothing should be done in the
spirit of mere vengeance. Then let us
agree to extend the privileges of the
league as rapidly as their conduct war
rants it to other nations, doubtless dis
eliminating between those who would
have a guiding part in the league and
the weak nations who would be entitled
to the privileges of membership, but who
would not be entitled to guiding voice
in the councils. Let each nation reserve
to itself and for its own decision, and
let it clearly set forth, Questions which
are non iusticiable. Let nothing be done
that viii interfere with our preparing
for our own defense by introducing a
system of universal obligatory military
training modelled on the Swiss plan.
"The American people do not intend to
give up the Monroe Doctrine. Let civil
lied Europe and Asia introduce some
kind of police system in the weak and
disorderly countries at their thresholds.
But let the United States treat Mexico
as our Balkan peninsula and refuse to
allow European or Asiatic powers to in
terfere on this continent in any way
that implies permanent or semi-perma-
nent possession"
On this basis we cannot have a league
of nations too soon. The principle here
declared agrees admirably with the view
just put forth at Paris by Lord Robert
Cecilia view which rejects an interna-
tional control on moral, not physical,
force. nasmuch as that moral force
would always be represented by the SEN
timent of the preponderating nations in
the league, it is apparent that the Roose-
welt idea and the Cecil idea are in entire
harmony.-BostOn Transcript.