Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-21
BRITISH PRESS OPINION.
What London Newspapers Think of the
League of Nations.

League of Nations.
The following comments on the draft
Of the League of Nations covenant ap-
pears in the British press:
The Times:
It Is not true that the league cannot
do more against an offender than re-
produce the condition of the present
war. The covenant will be found, the
more it is examined, to go deeper into
the causes Of the war, and to do more
for their removal than any one ex-
pected. We venture to say that 1t is
the most important document ever
published, and one which, If worked in
the spirit Of its founder, will exercise
permanent influence for good on the
future of the human race.
2e&afornins Post: .t.-s, r,.--.--..-,a,
IT the scheme does not give US an
effectual means Of preventing war, 1t
gives at least what we hope may be
a solid alliance between the five great
powers which count upon our side, and
that itself Is not a mean achievement
in the cause Of peace.
The Daily News:
The clauses regarding the admission
Of states could be literally inter-
preted, for it is important that the
league should be no mere alliance Of
Entente powers, and the sooner neu-
tral and enemy states can be accepted
into membership, the sooner will the
league reach the maximum Of effect
iveness Meanwhile the scheme as
whole must be unreservedly welcomed
as the greatest instrument ever forged
for the maintenance of the peace Of
the world.
The Evening Standard:
M Clemenceau once told his fellow
delegates that every morning he said
to himself: Georges Clemenceau, thou
believest in a league of nations The
text Of the covenant published today
will go far to destroy lack Of faith
more stubborn than the French pre-
mier's.
THE covenant is a document Of
highly business-like character ap-
proved by the representatives Of IA ma
tions and destined to modify the whole
course of future history"
The Pail Mall Gazette:
We infer from the terms of the con-
stitution that a nation like Germany
will not be admitted until it has given
sufficiently concrete and prolonged
proofs of having renounced its scrap
of paper" morality and, in the mean
time, the restrictions Of armaments at
which the league aims internally, must
be limited by regard to the conduct OF
those beyond its borders.
The greatest strength Of the league
Is that it undoubtedly represents
deep seated impulse in the democracy
of today. If that impulse endures' the
barriers of another great war may be
permanently insuperable.
The Globe:
President Wilson is entitled to de-
rive some satisfaction over the result
of his efforts, which necessarily take
shape rather as the resultant forces
than as the offspring Of single mlnd'
however able. Credit unnistakably IS
due in very large measure for the dl-
plomacy with which M. Clemenceau
steered the proposals through the
rocky channels which under less skill
full leadership might we'll have brought
them to grief.
| The Westminster Gazette:
Some even of the warmest support
ers of the league Of nations will ADMIT
that their expectators were too 10"
in the face of the momentous docu-
ment published today with America
Great Britain and France going mana
in hand, and imperative circumstan-
ces driving them to produce schenle
which is clear and bold in outline ana
which, If adopted in anything like lts
present form will put all international
politics on a new basis and give us the
beeinnings of the United States, not OF
Europe only, but Of the world.
There remains the difficult, but su-
prcmely important question OF the ad-
mission of the nations which are now
our enemies. The Allied governments
are aware that no scheme will be COM
nlete which leaves Germany or Russia
outside. We shall come to the conciu-
sion that unless there is a militarlst
conference.-the in Germany that II
is safer to have her in the league than
outside, and that it is an advantage to
have this question settled sooner rath-
er than later.