New-York tribune., 1919-02-09
The Paris ''C0Uenant''
BY George w. Wickersham

tion Of peace with Germany or the de-
struction of that empire.
Approximately 5o,OO0,oOo people are
comprised in the Teuton countries and
Russia. Can the new society of ma
tions, as the French call it, protect the
rest of Europe from the menace of
these vast numbers? France is asking
herself this question. France, as Mr.
Wilson said in his speech in the Cham
Der of Deputies, still stands at the
frontier of freedom. and beyond her, to
the east. the future is full of ques-
tons 1t is also full of menace, and
France, knowing that upon her would
fall the first blow of the new aggres-
sion, cannot intrust her sole defence
to the unborn society of nations.
In the meantime France must re-
quire every precaution against fresh
invasion from the East Italy, too, will
be confronted with an enlarged and
strengthened Slav state Already ma
tional jealousies and rivalries between
them have shown themselves. She, too.
""iiHo% uisalAH nor relax her vigil
ance Simply because the great ma
tlons have associated themselves under
mere paper constitution, pledging
themselves to preserve inviolate the
new national boundaries Unless she
is given protection on which she feels
safe to rely Italy may be driven into
the arms of Germany as a protection
against her Slav neighbors.
What of Russia and Poland?
And what about Russia and Poland
and those other countries in which live
the unquiet millions now threatening
the stability Of the world? Mere COW
enants cannot bind them. They are
still in state of development, when
force and not sweet reasonableness
alone can keep them within their own
territories
One fears that we may see in Russia,
and perhaps in all Eastern Europe, a
repetition of Mexico France fears
that So do othera The only hope of
protection through the league of ma
tions lies in making it in very fact an
offensive and defensive alliance, swift
to strike if one nation shall break the
peace of the world, and armed and
ready to make the blow effective If
moi, France must remain always on
war footing, allied with England, and
prepared if need be to fight to the
death
Effective Sanctions Needed
The league cannot hold, says the
"Temps," eff there are not effective
sanctions and will not be eficacious if
these sanctions cannot b. applied in
stantly and automatically, so as to
speak against any one who may violate
the leagues solemn undertaking. But
have all countries a constitution that
WILL permit them to agree in advance
thus to take UP arms? In the United
States, for instance, do the preroga-
tiyes of the Senate permit the Presi-
cant to sign such a promise, or, if the
President has no such power, can one
devise some means which may never
theless attain the same result!o
This raises the question which goes
to the very root of the matter. To
furnish the nations which compose the
league with protection on which they
may rely and which will justify them
in abandoning an otherwise impera-
tive form Of military and naval defence
the league must be so organized that
it shall possess power adequate for
instant action to protect its members
from one another and against outside
aggression
Alliances Permissible
But, as american readers we'll know,
the United States Constitution confers
upon Congress exclusively the power to
declare war and the treaty making
authority, and does not authorize this
great power which our forefathers
wrung from the Executive and vested
in the representatives OF the people
to be delegated to any new super
sovereignty or league.
There would seem to be no consti-
tutional objection, however, to entering
into an offensive and defensive alliance
We have one precedent for that in the
treaty of 1878 with France. That al
lance bound US to lend armed sup
port to France in her war with Eng
land, as it pledged her to aid us. While
true that this was made by the old
Confederation, it would not seem objec-
tonable under the Constitution to pro-
vide by treaty or compact with other
nations forming the, league that the
executive body of the league should
organize and maintain an armed force
"a combinational police force-ade-
quate to compel respect for it's de-
crees and the expense of which should
be borne by the members of the league
Economic Measures Faulty
Some supporters of the plan for the
league express the opinion that it can
enforce it's mandates by economic de-
creea alone and that any member of the