The sun., 1919-10-27
DR.. ADLER SEES EVIL
IN LEAGUE SCHEME
Ethical Culture Society's
Founder Points to Flaws
in Covenant.

The exclusive, selfish and self-perpetu-
ating domination by the Ave faces" at
the council table of the proposed League
of Nations as the most serious Of sew
eral ethically wrong conditions conse-
quent to the acceptance by the United
States of the terms of the league was
discussed yesterday by DR.. Felix Adler,
founder of the Society for Ethical Gull
ture.
DR.. Adler's topic. Moral Questions
Involved in the Proposed League Of
Nations" had packed the floor and gal
lerles of the society meeting house on
West Sixty-third street, and as he sat
down after a severe arraignment of the
manner in which the league constitution
ignored the ethical aspects Of a state Of
peace he was warmly applauded.
Another feature OF the league provi-
sions which called forth the professors
condemnation were the element of false
hood in Article X, under the terms OF
which the secret treaties are ostenslbly
abrogated but which actually have been
shown to have been used to force con-
cessions in open defiance OF the article,
notably Shantung. He attacked the Idea
that reparaton need not be restricted
ethically by the consideration that the
moral and economic life of the conquered
peoples, even though guilty, must not be
crushed to the point of preventing resus-
citation and the rejection by the Powers
of the principle of self-determination In
all of the major instances, even though
reluctantly admitted in few cases. In
the tendency toward compromise in the
avowed purpose of the league and in the
| protection OF the weak nations by the
strong, to the extent that the weaker
| nations remain the prey OF the stronger
in fact, IL not In theory, DR.. Adler saw
dangers.
Dr. Adler denied that the covenant of
the proposed league constituted even a
nucleus about which 81 moral league
could be built. The forces of reaction
are to-day so strong that hope of revi-
sion Of the treaty by amendment or the
admission of new members must be
abandoned, he said.
Insistence by the United States upon
| Just and right terms in the peace treaty
and in the league would have to be met
with acquiescence by Japan, England
France and Italy, DR.. Adler declared.
| "In my opinion we are too timid." he
said. THE United States Is unequalled
in power and potentiality, America is a
giant. We cannot be omitted from the
counsel. 1t Is for us to decide that we
shall enter on just terms.
Little short of world dominion 1:
given to the five great nations at the
counsel table. They are the custodlans
OF the world and are guided only &C.
cording to their ideas of what is right
II we We're angelic 1t would be unsafe &c
trust the safety of the globe to Ave
nations 1t could not be done even II
there were no such great nationallstlc
selfish and imperialistic passions as are
abroad to-day. The giving of control tC
five nations is against real democracy.
81 was interested the other day in the
reasons advanced by Senator Hitchcock
as to why we should have representa-
tive on the PREPARATION Commission. Il
Senator Hitchcock feels that We canno
trust our associates not to take nd
vantage of the opportunity to defect tn.
trade of he Central Powers to their owl
interest what are we to think of theil
motives?"
DR.. Adler said he found II peculiarly
difficult to discuss the league with many
persons because so few had actual!
even read over the terms of the treat,
or the constitution of the league. 9TH,
American public is mot International,
minded IN this concern and not well in
formed as to political or geographical
conditions in Europe and ASIA he said