New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02

fled and statcsmanike discussion OF the
peace league project by Senator Lodge
will be to lift the debate to higher
level. His abstenton from personali-
ties and craftsmanship was worthy of
Senator of Massachusetts. lie ex-
amined not of the motives or the meth
DDS of those promoting the plan, but
plan itself as shown by the text of
the document which carries it, Sona-
tor Lodge is specially entitled to rccog-
milton for his refusal to degrade a great
subject by pickering back talk, for long
he has been a victim Of the meanest
sort of attack by non-peaceful advocates
of peace, and the pressure to rctort was
strong.
Senator Lodge, now as heretofore, is
advocate of the peace league principle.
10 gam a secure organization of the
world for peace he would be willing. if
necessary to scrap the Monroe Doctrine
and to disregard the advice of Wash
lngton. But he insists, if we are to
make such large sacrifices, if we are to
trust our future to new arrangements,
that it shall be affirmatively shown that
the new policy will secure peace and
through it protect this country.
No serious attempt to show this has
. been made. Those who Historically urge
this great departure confne themselves
to vague generalities about peace in
the abstract, or to the trivialities of
cheap abuse of those who ask for
careful scrutiny. Except the doors
were tightly locked and every precau-
ton taken against any hearing by the
public, the chief prepayment of the cove
nant has uttered not word in ex-
PLANTATION of the instrument which he
champions. For the great silence Sena-
tor Lodge assumes there is a reason, and
this is that there is a realization that
the undefended are indefensibe
In the Hague convention there was no
guarantee Of peace, as the world sadly
knows, and no adequate assurance of
peace is discoverabe in the misty and
indefinite language of the ncovenant.
Senator Hitchcock, as the Administra-
tons spokesman, declares nothing in
the draft forbids a war of self-defence.
His precise words when replying to a
query we're:
~ desire to repudiate the suggestion
contained in the speech Of the Senator
from Massachusetts that this league
WILL IN the slightest degree, limit the
privilege and duty Of any nation, the
United States Or any other to defend it.
self when attacked. to protect its ter
rltory and protect its right when in
vaded, either by a member Of the league
or by one not a member Of the league"
This astonishing admission is eouiya-
lent to saying, if the covenant had been
in existence in 1914, that it would not
have stopped the war. Austria Hun
| gary, as is we'll known poured her
troops over the Serbian border and Ger
many, on twelve hours notice to Rus
STA and on eighteen hours notice TO
France, poured German troops over the
frontiers Of Russia and France. The
, war began in an attack and in self-dc-
fence, and the covenant, if it had then
been IN existence, according TO Senator
| AAAO~HSNNh, "VuIu nave iutcIp OScu no par.
When men talk of permanent peace they
/ % not mean to recreate the conditions
l C. 1914, and it is not surprising Senator
/ Lodge, as a peace Lacquer, rejects the
covenant as practically valucless.
But if the covenant and the machinery
1t creates will not preserve peace, it
makes 1t certainty, if its pledges are
not broken, that the United States must
De party to every war that breaks put.
ne are to guarantee all territories as Of
1913. The United States will have but
ohe vote in nine, yet, unless it withdraws
from the league, it must stand ready to
send ITS troops around the world. Should
s'ne country, in the management of it's
internal affairs seek to punish those
! rising against tyranny, one can imagine
WIN what sort Of leaden hearts the COL
elers of America would take ship on a
mission TO shoot down thoge STRUGGLING
for liberty.
The climax Of absurdity il reached AZ
senator Lodge makes clear, when it APP
rsa1s, ny an authoritative Interpretation
rom the White House, thst the covenant
- binding for no particular period Of
~"s' and that any signaaory caa With