New-York tribune., 1919-03-31

would be mischievous Change ant
growth are the law of life, and no gen
Grafton can impose its will in regare
to the growth of nations and the dis.
tribution Of power upon succeeding
generations.
Must Be Reconstructed
| think, however, that this article
must be considered not merely with
reference to the future but with ref
erence to the present situation in Eu-
rope. Indeed, this whole agreement
ought to be considered in that double
aspect. The belligerent power of Ger
many. Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey
has been destroyed; but that will not
lead to future peace without a recon-
struction of Eastern Europe and West
ern Asia.
The vast territories of the Hohenzol-
lerns, the Hapsburgs and the Roman
offs have lost the rulers who formerly
kept the population in order, and are
filled with turbulent masses without
stable government, unaccustomed to
self control and fighting among them
selves like children of the dragons
teeth. There can be no settled peace
until these masses are reduced to or
der. Since the Bolsheviki have been
allowed to consolidate the control
which they established with German
aid IN Russia the situation is that
Great Britain, France, Italy and Bel
Rium. with a population of less than
l30,000,000, are confronted with the
dlsorganized but vigorous and warlike
population of Germany. German Aus
tria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and
Russia, amounting approximately to
29O,OOO000, fast returning to barba-
rism and the lawless violence of bar
barous races. Order must be restored.
The Allied nations in their council
must determine the lines of reconstruct
ton. Their determinations must be
enforced. They may make mistakes,
Doubtless they will; but there must
be decision, and decision must be en-
forced.
United States Cannot Quit
Under these conditions the United
States cannot quit. 1t must go on to
the performance of its duty, and the
immediate aspect of Article X is an
agreement to do that. ] think, there
fore, that Article X should be amended
so that it shall hold limited time. and
thereafter any member may withdraw
from it. | annex an amendment to
that effect.
The fifth amendment which I think
is needed is one suggested by M. Bour-
geols IN his speech at the conference,
which / have quoted above. II is to
the provisions regarding the limitation
OF armaments. The success of those
provisions is vital. If they are not
effective, the whole effort to secure
future peace goes for nothing The
plan of this league is contained in Ar
ticles WI and TX. They provide that
there shall be a reduction of national
armaments to the lowest point consis-
tent with national safety, that the ex-
ecutive council shall formulate plans for
general agreement as to the amount
OF these reductions, and that when an
agreement has been made by the pow
ers the parties will not conceal from
each other, but will give full and frank
lnformation regarding their industries
capable of being adapted to warlike
purposes, the scale of their armaments
and their military and naval pro-
grammes.
Some Nations Unreliable
Article TX provides for permanent
commission to advise the league on the
execution of these provisions. This
full information is essential. Other
wise, one nation will suspect another
of secret preparation and will prepar
to protect itself in the same way. so
that the whole scheme Of limitation
Will be destroyed. There would be
some justification for this, because
there are some nations of whom it
would be idle to expect the truth on
such subject; their public officers
would regard it as duty to conceal
and mislead
Inc only way to prevent that sort Of
thing is by giving the permanent COM
mission power of inspection and verifi-
cation. Every country should assent
to this, just as every trustee and treas
urer is willing to have an independent
audit of his accounts.
! annex such an amendment.
Enough has been said already to in
dlcate that this constitution of league
OF peace cannot be regarded as a tina
and conclusive instrument 1t neces
sarlly leaves much to be determined
hereafter We do not know yet wha
nations are to be the members of The
league, what nations are to be repre re-
sented in the council, what the limita
tlons of armaments, what the regula
tlons for the manufacture of munitions
or what the parties understand to bt
the scope of the provision for freedom
of transit and equitable treatment fo,
commerce.
Terms for Germany
The provision of Article XIX 20,
which | fully approve), relating tt
mandatorles to aid or take charge o1
administration in new states and ole
colonies, necessarily leaves both the Sc
lection of the mandatories and the char
acter Of their powers and duties un
settled. All these uncertainties are nc,
matters for criticism, but of necessit,
arising from the situation. Still more
important is the fact that no one know:
when or upon what terms the Centra
and Eastern powers are to be admitted
to~the league. The whole agreement i.
at present necessarily tentative. 1t can
not really be a league of peace in opera
ton for number of years to come Il
is now and in the immediate future
must be rather an alliance of approx.
mately onc-haif Of the active worle
against or for the control of the Other
half. Under these circumstances il
would be most unwise to attempt tc
give to this agreement fnality and make
the specific obligations of it's members
lrrevocable. There should be provision
lOi lCS IeNlSIOu III Il CdllncT atmosphere
and when the world is less subject tc
exciting and disturbing causes In the
meantime the agreement should not be
deemed irrevocablc. The last amend
ment, which annex, is directed to that
end.
If the amendments which have sug
gested are made | think it will be the
clear duty Of the United States to enter
into the agreement.
In that case it would be the dutv of