Evening journal., 1919-08-29
JUDGED IN rnE LIGHT OF HISTORY.

r HE cavalier in which the President treated
questions put to him by Senator New at the White
House conference should not blind the country to the deep
Significance Of those inlerrogatlons and Mr. Wilson's
answers.
"NIr President" Inquired Senator New ',yould our
position in the War OF 1912 and the spansh-Amercan
War have been under the league covmanl2"
"Oh Senator you Judge Of that well as could"
rrltably replied the President II have tried 10 be
historical student but could not quite get the league
back into those days clearly enough In my mand 10 form
judgment"
The only way TO get a clear understanding OF the
workings OF tho league TO apply It 10 the international
situations in which the country has found Itself In the
past.
Had the President been courteous enough to have
swered Senator New in the spirit in which the question
presented he would have been forced 70 admit that
the aggressons Of England upon in 1912
clearly would have been matter for the league council
TO pass judgment upon and could have resored
TO war; as we did yindicatlon Of rghS upon the
high II the league had been existence at that time
Moreover the United States being weak nation, the
league council would doubtless have decided the dispute
In favor Of England and prevented from protecting our
honor by force OF arms.
In the Spanish War, had the League Of Nations been
In existence the council would have assumed Jurisdiction
Spain and the United States being parties 20 the dis
pue would have been excluded from the deliberations
and the question would have been settled by for
egn representatives every Of them jealous OF the
growing power Of the United States.
There be no doubt that the decision would have
been adverse to the United States, and would have
been forced TO swallow the insult Of the destruction Of
the Maine and 10 watch heplessy the continued cruetes
OF Spain toward the Cubans.
The President finds II not worth his while to deter
mine how the league would have affected past his
tory but he looks serenely into the future with calm
assurance that the undreamed Of contingencies that
tions provided.
The President finds II easy to make convenient assump-
tons for the years that are to come but the ordinary
citizen viii form his conclusions Of the effect Of the
league upon national life by applying the plain pro
visions Of The TO the concrete instances Of our
past history.
There is no room for speculation there.
France would never have been permitted TO lend us
the aid in the Revolution that practically saved the day
for our cause up this country independent
nation.
coercion Of the Barbary pirates through the Inn
mortal Decatur and Summers would never have been per-
med by the league.
The lmpressment OF American in 1912 by Great
Britain would have continued for all that the United
states could have done to prevent t
We could never have compelled the Southern States
TO remain the Union because TO do affected the
Of the world
Tho.- wars would have been avered, but other wars
against the supreme power that attempted to dictate
American policies would inevitably have occurred, the
whole course Of American history would have been
altered and our material growth would have been i'm
measuraby retarded