Evening star., 1919-11-16

OF nations which would receive the
approval of President Wilson. then
the aid and cooperation of America
would be withdrawn. Had Europe
suspected that there was real divi-
sion in America over the principle. the
league of nations idea would have
been totally abandoned by the time
the President had returned from his
FEBRUARY visit to America.
Division in America Patent.
Now it is patent that there has been
IN the past six months an unmistak-
, able division of opinion in America
II IS manifest. spread upon the rec
ords of Congress, set forth in all the
newspapers, reported in all the cable
dispatches to Europe that one of the
two great political parties, itself a
majority in the Senate. has aligned
itself against President Wilson's Eu-
ropean course and that there have
even been defections from his own
party.
AS to the right or wrong of the
course Of the opposition, as to the
views Of a clear Ina ajority of American
people say nothing and this detail is
unlmportant for the present discus
sion. What is tremendously impor-
tant is that Europe has discovered
mously for the league of nations, that
one strong political party, one i'm
portant fraction of the American peo-
pie opposes it.
And. more than this. the actual
adoption of the treaty, with or with
fout essential reservations. will not
now change the fact that Europe no
longer looks upon the question as it
did last winter. 1t no longer believes
that the United States demands the
league of nations with a determined
spirit and will turn it's back upon
hn 1no pf L.
accepted by all European nations. On
the contrary, the character Of the
debate in the Senate and of the res
ervations which have been framed.
together with the substantial vote re-
ceived by the various amendments.
discloses the United States. SO far as
a minority is concerned, at the least.
as unwilling to accept for itself GER
tain league of nations principles as
were France and Italy.
There is then, for the European ma
tions. who never did believe in the
league of nations itself, and particu-
larly for those nations which saw
in it positive menace to their own
existence, no remaining incentive 10
accept, since it is by no means clear
yet that the United States will accept
and unmistakable that the United
States is far from making a unani-
nous demand upon Europe to accept.
If Senate Had Ratified.
To put the thing a little differently:
Had the United States Senate prompt
ly ratified the treaty of Versailles.
had there been any immediate and
widespread public expression OF ap-
proval. had the press and the plat
form in America demonstrated that
the course of the President at Paris
was beyond all debate subject to no
question, the course which the United
States desired, had there been no re-
publican majority in the senate op-
| ton denouncing, no division, even
| among democrats. the result in Eu-
| rome would have been sure, the
strength of the league OF nations
would have been established, lts pres
| tige and authority enormously en-
| hanced. od
| Rut lust the opposite has happened.
with consequences which are OF utmost
importance, because whatever one may
believe individually about the & Wlsuoin nn,. y.
tba folly of the league of nations cot.-
ception: however much one may aer'v
or disagree with the ideas and Ideals OF
the President, we shall all OF US nav "
deal with facts; we shaii nave ~ S.ote,
nize that the course of the United states
Senate the direction events nave ,aken
in the United States, have contributes
TO weaken enormously. probably to de-
strov. the influence of the league OF na-
ti0nS a force III oIiu
Vet the whole settlement framed py
tho Paris conference was interviewer
with league Of nations ideas. vast MD
chinery was created, all sorts OF coIl-
promises and adjustments We're nia, .i.
MANY. if not all, of which Will faii 10 tue
ground. with the league OF nations u
self Above all else. the European ma
tions, regaining their freedom Vi asGo
as a consequence of American DIVISION
of opinion over the league OF nao'T Tue
2d1llStmenlS. l. Hc
hist Illustration of this is the course y,
italy. which is now enlisting more anu
more active support from her european
allies, France and Britain
New American Course Demanded.
Rut this in turn demands new course
on our part Up to the present hour we
have adopted no real Foreign pohcs'
even the republican opposh,r,Ohd shaO dest1uct- na1
i've criticism of the Presidents concep-
tion. To be sure, extremists, IKE boIan
and Johnson, have advocated retuI"
to An isolation which itself was demon
strated to be Impossible oS 'he "''''
war. o,- ,ack Of
no1icv is responsible for the prolonga-
ton of anarchy in many parts OF .ne
world. We offer the single oarrier "
an adjustment of the Fiume tansle:
We stand alone in the pathway OF
Creek rights in Thrace: the TURKISH
nrohleu, is still pending, because inc
limited States has, as yet, made no oii-
cial statement of it's intentions In the
matter of taking mandates Tor CON-
stantinople or Armenia or BOTH
But this situation cannot and VIII
NOT endure. Recognizing that Europe
no longer attaches to the league OF
nations that Importance IL did SIX
months ago. and then 1t regardeo ie
ILL g.
lieved that it was the sine qua non
of American participation In restoring
the world-the unique price OF Ameri-
can friendship-it is no less true that
the same nations still desire. to work
in co-operation with the United States,
still recognize that we remain the
same tremendous potential FACTOR
which we were on the morning or the
armistice.
It is almost certain now. in view of
the opposition to the league OF ma
tions displayed by the Senate and as
a consequence of the concom;tant
sentiment in favor of a withdrawal
from all active participation In Eu-
ropes quarrels, that Europe Will more
and more seek to adjust its concerns
without American advice. We may
expect to see the British and the
French consent to italian possession.
in Fiume; we may believe that France.
with American veto withdrawn, viii
remain indefinitely in the Saar basin:
we guess that the voice Of Paris. ad
dressed to Rumania, will grow gem
tier, now that conditions have
changed.
America Cannot Escape.
But il the scheme, the vision Of a
world organized through the league
of nations, has been terribly shat
tered-at least. as to realization,
postponed for many years-it is no