The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-25

TUESDAY, MARCH e, 1918.
STRENGTHENS MONROE DOCTRINE.
Concisely told, the armament and enforcement
questions before the League of Nations will be
settled along these lines, if present indications
prevail: ~ :
First-Flat designation by the League Of Ma
tious Of the maximum armed force to be allowed
each nation.
Second Compulsory submission of all dis
putes to arbitration, though perhaps not conn
pulsory acceptance of arbitration board decis-
ions, and long cooling period" before HOSTILE
ties may start in any case.
dissatisfaction by the league Of some nation
to enforce its decisions and to quell disorder
where necessary by armed force; or. if more
force is needed, union Of the arms Of various
nations, rather than pure international police
force under command of the league itself.
While no official comment is made as to the
probable size Of the various armies, it is under
stood that sympathetic consideration is being
given rough program whereby the United
States and Great Britain would have highly-paid,
volunteer armies Of about pre-war size; and
France and Italy would be permitted to continue
CONSUMPTION because they feel that they cannot
financially afford to support volunteer army
plan, but the armies would be strictly limited in
size. the draft taking only small percentage Of
all the young men called up-yielding in France.
for example, perhaps one-fourth of the number
Of men raised in pre-war days. This Of course.
involves stern limitation of German armed forces
presumably only enough for home police work.
As for compulsory arbitration, the commits
sions have found this one of the most difficult of
al these related questions.
For months the British have held the view
that there must be compulsory submission of all
international disputes to an arbitration board ap-
pointed by the league.
The British also lean toward q minimum
cooling period" of six months or year, earlier
than which no hostilities could beein-a period
sufficient to get the quarreling nations cooled off
and to permit world sentiment to crystalline so
as to prevent the theatened breach of peace.
It can certainly be said that compulsory sub
mission to arbitration is going through, what
ever the fate Of compulsory acceptance of arbi-
tration decisions
AS for reduced ornaments, it must be con-
coded that the ideal ultimate solution would be
League Of Nations holding the complete conf
dence Of every nation, controlling an interna-
tional police force or army; and this, with the
exception of what constabularies are necessary
force in existance.
But the thought dominating at least many Of
the commissioners is whether, in short, the world
is ready for this at the jump-off.
Therefore, the present tendency is to pare
down fighting machines to the last possible inch
and to start With some such arrangement as out
lined above for policing the world, until conf
dence in the league is established.
The idea is to make the greatest possible ad-
vance in arriving at q starting point, without
arousing fears or mistrust that might prejudice
the existence of the league and then, with open
machinery provided, work progressively toward
the IDEAL
The obvious power would be selected by the
league to enforce it's decisions or to quell dis
order In other words. it goes without saying
that European armies could not be brought to
North or South America as the selected nation
to act the role of international police until the
Unied States army union Of the armies Of