The Washington herald., 1919-02-09
LEAGUE OF NATIONS PLAN
- ROUSES FRENCH SKEPTICISM
Balderston Says Clemenceau Wants Material
Safeguard Against German Invasion;
Americas Position as Worlds
Banker Criticised.

into a league none of whose duties
she can herself promise to PERFORM
Can't Understand Wilson.
When 1 wrote above that 1 did
not understand what the American.
delegates were driving at, had in
mind these questions. The Presi-
dents general principles, his ideals,
his internationalism, are crystal
clear to the world, but what is not
clear is how he proposes to bring
America into line with him. One
sober Englishman. shaking his
head over these problems, told me.
II cannot understand your Presi-
dent, but / think 1 am beginning
to suspect that. since he knows your
people will not back up a real com
munity of power. he is planning Tor
something bigger than the Ameri-
can Pres idency. He was worship
ped in Italy as the God of Peace ;
they burned four candles before his
pictures in the churches where only
two twinkled before the images OF
the holiest saints. Is it not possible
that Wilson wants to be ruler OF
the world, through the unanimous
choice of him by all the nations,
excepting pOSSlOly HIS O"hs NS
chairman of the executive OF the
league Of nations? II this is his
game. he is playing it like a mas
ter. and he may be able in five years
to control the situation in spite OF
the hanging back of the country
he is supposed to representative
United States"
And then my companion added, halI
Laughing, and half in earnest, 1T would
be rather odd IL some day Woodrow
Wilson. from his world White House at
The Hague had to call in the league
o, nations disciplinary powers TO
coerce those reactionary nations oil
the West and East, the United States
and Japan"
To stop joking and become serious
again, how France and England and
Italy and the rest take Wilson's pro-
gram, in the last analysis, will prob
ably depend on whether they think
the American people will back UP at
once and with all their resources the
countries that mt at bear the brunt
Of any future aggression. The French
point OF view, as opposed to the
American. is due to her proximity TO
Germany Theories are very well
France thinks. when you live 5000 miles
across the sea. France wants secur-
ity with a big s. and it will take a
lot of argument to persuade her that
security. in the case of Germany. does
not mean coal and iron and buffer
states and river frontiers rather than
scraps of paper.
Criticism by France.
Without going into the SPECIFIC con-
frNrrarGia1 AarnanHa nf IRA can
summarize some of the criticism that
is being brought by French opinion
against the American. or the wilson
ian. program. II this citicism is
judged sound. and the American pro-
posals fall. then France. as a matter
Of course. will grab all she can get in
the old way. making herself as strong
as possible for the inevitable future
wars. Here are six objections. not
easy to answer. urged here against
wilson's views. as they are commonly
understood:
First-The liberation and encourage
ment of smaller nations is an appeal
ing principle. but some French think
ers urge that il really means. in the
last analysis, reaction Elasticity in
international frontiers. as now demon
strated to a somewhat disturbing eX-
tent all over Europe in the breaking
away of new nations and the altera-
ton of old boundaries, will be made
difficult or impossible under the new
world order: that is, it will practical
ly become impossible for a new ma
tiOn to arise in future at the cost Of
the nations already sanctioned, de-
Initiated. safeguarded and represent
ed in the league The league will
thus. in some measure. have a some
what reactionary force, though that
mil ght not be of a nature more serious
than the conservatism created and
enforced by the Constitution OF the
United States. In this connection it
is observed that the phrase demo
cratic constitution" is a wide term,
and il is not unthinkable that some
of the more advanced spirits may in
quiTe whether the President of the
United States of America has not at
this moment power so large as to be
somewhat inconsistent with the prin-
ciples of pure democracy.
The second point that awakes com
ment in Paris is that in almost every
scheme advanced for a league of ma
tions the nature of the duties and
limitations of a high court and of a
parliament respectively are differently
stated. and that a much clearer state
ment than has yet been put forward
should be published as to the relative
scope and importance of the judicial
and legislative functions Of this coun-
Gil of the world. Publicity on this
phase, skeptics say. would kill the
leag que of nations in a week
Thirdly, II is seen quite clearly that
Senator Lodge put his finger upon a
very serious point when he inquired
with a touch OF sarcasm, whether the
out-numbered white races would ac.
cept the dictation of the colored races
of Asia against their own Judgment
or whether if, on the other hand, pop.
ulatiOn played no part in the deter.
mining voice of the league, the great
! powers of the world would allow them.
selves TO be outvoted by the many
voices OF small and comparatively in
significant races. In other words, tn,
| proposals for a league of nations. 4
\ is felt, must boldly face the question
OF the sovereignty of each indiyidua
state. Yet. IL this be interfered with
1t is difficult to see how the Peac,
Congress an effectively secure the in.
dependence promised to and now We,
hemently claimed by the smaller races
Nay Repeat Hague Fiasco.
Fourthly. there is a general feelinI
| in France that the near embodimer
of the highest common factor of al
existing civilization m a world treaty
would result in nothing more than q
| A.H. BAKSHIAN