The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-04

N Is q. - -
liz some agreement cannot ~ reached!
lall OF which In likely to result in q
Ipeaceable settlement OF most diff
ferences. In the face Of the public
opinion of the world. evidenced by
the action OF the body of delegates,
which includes representatives from
all members of the league, IL any
nation begins war, In violation OF its
covenant, TO await the peaceable
settlement OF differences, as above.
then the penalizing article applies,
and all members Of the league are
bound to initiate at once universal
boycott against the outlaw nation, q
boycott that will cut off all CONNER
tcia1 and trade relations with the
lworld. all personal relations, all dipio-
matte relations with other nations;
boycott that will hold UP food and
raw internal from the recalcitrant
nation; will prevent its selling lts
product in foreign market; will hold
Iup The payment of debts due II, ana
will in every way impose upon 1t a
whitening isolation that will be nearly
as destructive as war. II that does
| not do, then provision is made by
recommendation of the executive
council for military expeditions by the
members of the league to add to the
jtconof0lC pressure Oh liiS UpyScSS 'A'S
military force. This is not war
proof machine 1t may not exclude
the possibility OF war. but 1t will rem
der IL so remote that the progress
made by it toward permanent peace
| is of the most substantial character.
NO FOUNDATION
| The same objections are made to
| this step as to that of Article Y, that
/ il will involve us in trouble with re-
mote nations, and possible wars. There
| is the same answer, namely. that the
knowledge of this union OF the nations
To enforce this obligation OF the
league will prevent it's violation by
reckless members. For the same pur-
pose there is provision in the league
that were difficulties arise between
members of the league and non-mem-
bers (because the league asserts its
interest in all wars of an international
character), by which the executive
council IS to summon any non-mem-
Der having a difference with mem
Der of the league, or any two non
members having differences between
them, and invite them, for the pur-
pose of settling the difference peace
ably, to become temporary members
Of the league, and thus to impose on
them the obligations of the league.
land impose on them, II they violate
| such obligations. the penalties provid
| ed in Article XVI. In this way, the
whole world is reached and brought
under the obligations of the league
to prevent war.
The fourth great step forward Is
| that in compelling open diplomacy.
lAll treaties made between nations are
to conform to the obligations of the
members of the league. and future
! treaties are not to have effect until
| they have been recorded in the secre-'
tariat of the league in this way the
cards are to be played face up on
the table. There are to be no secret
agreements between nations. but
each nation is to know what the obi
cations of other nations are. Secret
treaties, secret ententes, have in the
/ past been fruitful of wars and inter-
national injustice. They are thus to
be abolished.
| With these four great steps secur-
ed by mutual covenants we have a.
fright to say that immense progress
viii be made toward the preserva
ton of permanent peace and the
avoidance of the scourage of war. If
we have another general war, as we
lare likely TO have unless we have a
league.- not noW.-hllt- in ten years or
! y
moro Obstructive than this was as this
war more destructive than the last
war. We went into this war because
we wished to end German militarism
and because we feared that If Ger
man militarfsm prevailed In this
i war, Germany would dominate the
world and would curtail world indie
pendence and world freedom OF ma
, lions. In the course Of ten or twenty
I,.a .
: In armament which will follow in the
: absence of a league Of nations, there
will be a repetition of the conditions
which led to this war. and then the
increased destructiveness OF the next
, war in which we shall certainly be
: drawn as we were into this, will
bring about something equivalent to
world suicide. There is. therefore,
. the heaviest obligation on us, as the
, most powerful nation in the world
, both in our own interest and in that
OF the> world. to unite in this league
: of nations and give 1t strength and
- effectiveness. which it cannot have I'M
less we join 1t. We are the most dis
, Interested nation entering it, and the
fact that we are so; the fact that we
represent pure democracy will give
TO the league prestige and conf
dencc Of the world that it might no,
otnerWlSe nave. The knowledge by
the world that we are in the league
and that our power is united to that
of all the others, will have a moral
effect TO prevent war, the value OF
which cannot be overestimated
= SWEEP AWAY CRITICISM
Criticisms have been made of this
league OF various kinds Those
criticisms have led to suggestions for
amendments, and the amendments
, upon which most friends of the league
have agreed, are to be adopted, as we
: are told by cable. into the covenant
TO be adopted into the treaty There
fore, we may hope that the senators
who announced in so-called "Round
Robin" that the league as reported
WAS not acceptable. will now acquicsce
in the amended league. They
. asked that the league be postponed
until after the peace treaty imposing
terms on Germany should be signed.
The difficulty about that proposition
was that in the present condition OF
Europe, no peace treaty would be ef-
fecuve unless the nations debating
this peace to Germany shall them
selves constitute league OF nations.