Evening star., 1919-03-24
War and q World League.

War and a World League.
Arrangements for the possible pre-
vention of future wars by universal
agreement ought not to be allowed to
delay or embarrass or weaken the pro-
visions for ending the present war and
preventing its recurrence by disabling
the would-be world conquerors and
keeping them disabled by the exercise
of victors' might.
The two leagues are based on differ
ent principles and their decisions are
enforced by different powers. The vic
tors league is based upon the aggre-
gated strength of the nations that won
the war. The world league is based
upon mutual agreement of all nations,
including neutrals and vanquished, as
well as victors. In the first, power of
control is frankly exercised by the five
great associated nations. In the sec
ond, power of control is to be exercised
on representative and equitable princi-
pies by all the world. For specific
example of different tendencies and
application under the two leagues it
may be noted that under a victors'
league disarmament is only of the de-
feated. The victor takes away the van
quished's gun and retains his own, get
ting and keeping the "drop" on the
enemy as long as is necessary to per-
feet, the victory. Disarmament under
a world league is not discriminatory,
but universal. Everybody gives up his
guns or g. part of his guns.
For the present in the interest of en-
during peace Germany must give up all
its guns, which it has misused; and the
vietors' League must keep it's guns load
ed, cooked and aimed, until all the repa-
rations demanded by justice in peace
Of victory have been made, and guar
antees that for the near future Ger
many will keep the peace have been
secured, largely through German dis
ablement to do otherwise. In the peace
of the ideal worlds league the victors
of today must be logically and in con-
sistency disarmed as thoroughly as the
vanquished. Frances army gun and
Britain's navy gun must be put on the
table along with those Of Germany and
Austria.
The world league, so far as one can
be formed, should develop naturally
from the victors' league, and is not
logically, except as to its broad foun-
dations, an integral part of the treaty
ending the war with Germany, which
is framed by the vietors and enforced
by their aggregated strength.
Another reason why victors' league
should hesitate to surrender power to
a world league is found in the war
conditions of today. Under the sug-
gested constitution of the world league
it is not to intervene in civil war. It's
function is not to prevent internal
strife, but wars of conquest between
nations. But the wars Of today are
civil wars, and they are waged over
q large part of the world-in Ger
many, Russia and China. The threat
ened wars of the near future are bod
shevist-incited civil wars, and not wars
of world conquest. Russia, for ex-
ample, helped to win the world war,
and genuine appeal for relief from
bolshevik despotism by the real Rus
sia could not be ignored by the vic
tors league But if bolshevik Russia
were in the world league that league
would on the internal non-intervention
theory leave the real Russia to the
murderous despotism of bolshevik rule
and prevent any sympathetic outside
nation from interfering.
There is no danger that the United
States, which in the war and in peace
making has played a glorious part in
promoting world liberty, world justice,
world peace and the vital welfare of
the world peoples, will surrender this
role. The question of today concerns
the wisest and surest method of ac-
complishing the desired results and
asks whether the United States will
more surely benefit and bless America
ond &ho xor1d f11 Yrp rv,o.d;oc ;oal
ously the spirit Of American nation
ality and by retaining every inde-
pendent and exclusive power Of Amer
ican sovereignty, which it has utilized
so far to noble ends; or (2) by merg-
ing America with Europe, Asia and
Africa into a federation or union of
the world.