The sun., 1919-08-13

49, Wv ahs@a
fully and nobly. as we did in 1917. He
who doubts that we should 10 SO has little
faith In America But let II be our own
act, and not done reluctantly by the
coercion Of other nations, at the bidding
or by the permission of other countries.
Theodore Roosevelt, in the last article
written before his death, warned us, his
countrymen, that we are In honor bound
to keep ourselves so prepared that the
Monroe Doctrine shall be accepted as
immutable international law Grover
Cleveland was a Democrat n Theo-
dore Roosevelt was a Republican. but
they were both Americans, and It is
the American spirit which has carried
this country always to victory and
which should govern US to-day. and not
the International spirit which would In
the name of peace hand the United
States over bound hand and foot to
obey the nat OF other Powers.
Right of withdrawal Essential.
Another point in this covenant whore
change must be made In order to pro-
tect the safety OF the United States In
the future IL in Article l., where with
travail is provided for. This provision
was an attempt to meet the very gem
era1 objection to the first draft of the
league, that there was no means OF
getting out Of II without denouncing the
treaty; that is, there was no arrange
ment for the withdrawal any nation.
As it now stands 1t reads that
".Any member of the league may, af-
ter two years notice of its intention to
do so, withdraw from the league, pro-
vided that all its international obliga-
lions and all its obligations under this
covenant shall have been fulfilled at the
time OF its withdrawal
Are we deliberately to put ourselves
in letters and be examined by the
League of Nations as to whether we have
kept faith with Cuba or Panama before
we can be permitted to cave the league?
This seems to me humiliatlng, to say the
least. 1t seems to me vital to the safety
Of the United States not only that this
provision should be eliminated and the
right to withdraw made absolute, but
that the period Of withdrawal should be
much reduced.
ANY analysis of the provisions of this
league covenant brings out In startling
relief great fact. Whatever may be
said. It Is not q league of peace; 1t Is
an alliance dominated at the present mo-
ment by I'VE great Powers. really by
three, and 1t has all the marks of an al
lance. The development Of international
law is neglected. The court which Is to
decide disputes brought before 1t fills but
a small place. The conditions for which
this league really provides with the ut
most care are political conditions, not
judicial questions, to be reached by the
executive council and the assembly,
purely political bodies without any trace
of a judicial character o them.
such being its machinery, the control
being in the hands OF political a~ppointees
x.,kAa1 x-afau .ll ha OOntrOllad nv infarAaf
and expediency. II exhibits that most
marked characteristic of an alliance
that its decisions are to be carried out
by force. Those articles upon which the
whole structure rests are articles which
provide for the use Of force that is, for
war. This league to enforce peace. does
a great deal for enforcement and very
little for peace. 1t makes more essential
provisions looking to war than to peace
for the settlement of disputes.
Pact Provisions Portend War.
1.-The provisions Of Article XVI. are
extended to States outside the league
who refuse to obey It's command to
come in and submit themselves to its
Jurisdiction; another provision for
war
Taken altogether, the provisions for
war present what to my mind Is the
gravest objection to this league in its
present form. We are told that of
course nothing will be one In the way
OF warlike acts without the assent, of
Congress. II that is true let us say
so In the covenant. But as 1t stands
there is no doubt whatever. In my mind
that American troops and American
ships may be ordered to any part of the
world by nations other than the United
States, and that is a proposition to
which I for one can never assent
1--WE were late in entering the war.
We made no preparation, as we ought
to have done. for the ordeal which was
clearly coming upon US: but we went
and We turned the wavering scale. 1t
was lone by the American soldier. the
American sailor and the spirit and
energy OF the American people. They
overload all obstacles and all short
comings on the part OF the Admlnistra-
ton or of Congress and CAV TO their
country a great place in the great vic
tory. It was the first time we had
been called upon TO rescue the civilized
world. Did We fail? On the contrary
we succeeded, succeeded largely and
nobly and we did II without any com
mand from any league Of nations
when the emergency came we met II
and we were able to meet 1t because
we had built up on this continent the
greatest and most powerful nation in
the world. built II up under our own
policies, in our own way, and one great
element of our strength was the fact
that we had held aloof and had moi
thrust ourselves into European quarrels
that We had no selfish interest to serve
We made great sacrifices. We havs
done splendid work.
81 believe that we do not require tC
be told by foreign nations when W,
shall do work which freedom and civ
ilization require. I think we can move
to victory much better under our owl
command than under the command o.
others. Let us unite with the work.
to promote the ~peaceable settlement o
all International disputes. Let us tr,
to develop International law. Let III
associate ourselves with the other ma
lions for these purposes. But let III
retain In our own hands and in on
own control the lives of the youth o
the land. Let no American be sent int,
battle except by the constituted au
thortties Of his own country and by tn,
will of the people of the United States
Danger in Unshared IdeaIism.
ut is well TO remember that we ar,
dealing with nations every one of which
has a direct individual interest to serve
and there Is grave danger in an un
shared idealism. Contrast the UniteC
States with any country on the face o
the earth to day and ask yoursel
whether the situation OF the Unitet
States is not the best to be found.
will go as far as ans one In world ser
vice, but the first step to world servic
Is the maintenance OF the United States
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