The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-01-17
WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER
The President in Europe is the Most
Absorbing Topic-Is Secretary
Wise Guy?
lspecial CORRESPONDENCE

Washington, d. c., Jan. 15-"This
war" said President Wilson, chad its
roots in the disregard of the rights
of small nations and of nationalities
which lacked the union and the force
to make good their claim to determine
their own allegiances and their own
forms of political life" Quite SO, but
il is pointed out by those opposed to
Americas entering into entangling
alliances, Mr.. Wilson would form the
leading countries of the world into
a League of Nations for the express
purpose Of coercing smaller nations
and preventing them from making
good the courses. international and
domestie, that they have marked out
for themselves.
"A general associations must be
formed" again remraks the president,
under specific covenants for the put
pose of affording mutual guarantees
of political independence and terri
torial integrity to great and small
states alike" But the announced pur
pose of the league of nations is pTi-
marily to deny political independence
to any single nation and to substitute
for it the judment of the league,
whether the country in question is a
member of the league or not. Like
wise the league will be no respector of
territorial integrity" 1t may be that
conditions in Austria-Hungary are
duplicated in other parts of the
world, where small states are held to-
gether by the superior force of the
larger. In case of a revolution on the
part of the weaker, the matter would
come within the purview of the league
and the boundaries would be settled
without regard to the territorial in
tegrity" of either the large or small
contender.
My conception of league of ma
tions is just this" explains Mr.. VIII
son in his latest public pronounce
ment in Paris, ''that it shall operate
IS the organized moral force of men
turnout the world, and whenever or
wherever wrong and aggression are
planned or contemplated this search
ing light of conscience will be turned
upon them and men everywhere will
ask: What are the purposes which
you hold in your heart against the
fortunes of the world" A rather
nebulous exposition of the subject, as
all of the presidents rhetorical out
bursts are, but we gather from it that
the business of the league will be to
take charge of any commotion in any
part of the world, and proceed to de-
termine for itself whether wrong or
aggression are planned or contem-
plated. Suppose the league had been
in existence at the outbreak of the
Spanish-American war. Our real pur-
pose of going into Cuba would have
been subjected to an investigation by
a tribunal dominated by the nations
of Europe. We would have advanced
the claim that our entry upon Cuban
soil was to establish order in that OPP
pressed island, and abolish the cruel
ties that had been practiced so close
to our own shores. After accomplish
ing that purpose we would have as
sured the league that we would with
draw to our own territory and leave
the Cubans in the enjoyment of a gov
eminent of their own. Would our
protestations have been accepted by
the league? Not for moment No
such altruistic motives had ever actu-
ated nation in the past. Never had
one of the members of the league en-
tered upon foreign soil unless for pur-
poses of conquest or the extortion of
tribute. Judged by the standards to
which they were accustomed the mem
Der nations of the league would have
scoffed at the proposition of the
United States, and Spanish rule in
Cuba would have continued.
Inconsidering this league of nations
it must be bourne in mind constantly
that it necessarily involves the surren-
der of American determination of
American questions to an international
court in which the United States will
hold but a very small minority of
power. Is that a situation in which