The Washington times., 1919-04-29
LEAGUE BASED ON .
POWER, SAYS HILL

Instead OF preventing wars, the con-
stitution of the League Of Nations
not only increase the likelihood Of
them, but specifically states the occa-
sions on which they must occur, ac-
cording to DR.. David Jayne Hill, for
mer American ambassador TO Ger
many, who lectured yesterday after.
noon in Memorial Continental Han
on THE Corporate Character OF the
League or Nations"
The lecture was the first OF a series
OF lectures on constitutional and in
ternRtional law under auspices OF
George Washington University. The
second OF the series will be delivered
by DR.. Hill this afternoon at $40
o'clock at the same place, the subject
being The Treaty-Making Power I'm
der the Constitution Of the United
States" The public is invited.
In his lecture yesterday afternoon
DR.. Hill declared that the League
covenant created either a super-gov-
eminent with imperial power. or
misunderstanding advisory body with
no real means to enforce its wishes.
He said that the constitution was
plainly the work OF politicians, not OF
Jurists, and that IL creates an organ
OF power instead OF an institution of
justice.
Ambiguity Is Admitted.
The ambiguity Of the document" "
said Dr. Hill, els generally admitted.
Il has received from persons supposed
to be competent, diametrically oppo-
site interpretations, and such con-
fictinE views have been expressed
even by the same person at different
times and upon different occasions.
Between free self-governing na-
tions on the one hand and super-gov-
ernment on the >other, there is no in
termediate condition, no third aterna-
tive. II is a choice between free and
not free.
sThes league proposes to bind its
members 60 united action, and II is
in the next breath pretended that
there is nothing binding about 1t.
The choice must be made, and II Is
important that it should be clearly
understood. Does the league invite,
r does Il command? II it only in
tes. il is not a league. If II COM
snds. il is a super-government.
ssIf IL Is not a sUper-goVeTnment. II
executive council can not bring
army into the field to enforce its
ecisions. the provisions Of this con-
itution create enormous risks and
1sftive dangers. Although il is one
the alleged objects Of this league
prevent war, war is not only dis
Ictly provided for, but the occasions
zen il must occur are plainly ipdi-
ted and are even rendered neces-
ry.
Net Competent to Make Laws.
'9n view of the fact that the league
as IL will be constituted is an exclu-
sive corporation. TO which only those
il Is willing to receive can be
admitted, 1t is evident that b.
itself il Will not be a body com
petent 10 make laws. It will probably
consist, IL Il comes into existence, Of
a minority Of the sovereign states of
the civilized world. Even il il were
a majority IL would not be sufficient
IT may through its pFeponderance Of
power be able to command, and even
10 enforce its will, but law does not
rightly issue from mere power, or
rest on power. II must be the Of
spring Of reason, or IL cannot claim
90 be law in any true juristic sense.
The league plan is imperialism, 1t
may be well meaning-imperialism
always pretends to be benevolent
but IL the war in which we have par
ticipated was a war to destroy i'm
perialism. and to establish self-deteT-
mination Of free nations under law,
which should be the expression Of
their consent, a plan which merely
establishes a composite imperialism,
the arbitrary power of a single group
of nations, would be not a victory for
freedom, but its defeat"