The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-24
BECK SAYS LEAGUE
DENIES WORLD LAW
Contradicts Principle Of Ma
tional Sovereignty for Which
War Was Fought.
ITS OBLIGATION LEGAL
Warns Maine Audience 1t
Holds Seeds Of Another
Titanic Conflict.
ITS OBLIGATION LEGAL
Special Despatch 10 TIE SUI.

LEWISTON, Me-, Aug. 23.-The dangers
attending the conduct Of American at
,sirs along lines of moral obligations
and the fat contradiction that the
League Of Nations represents the prin-
e,nles on which the United States en-
tered the war were set forth here to-
night by James NJ. Beck. fofrherly As
sistant Attorney Mr.. Beck
smoke to a considerable audience and
was enthusiastically received.
"The President seeks to reassure his
oountrymen as to the possibilities Of
This extraordinary undertaking by sug-
resting that the obligation to fulfil 1t
4 moral and not legal" said Mr..
Beck. but even his assurance loses It's
force when he tells us that a moral OBJ
usation may be of more Compelling
mower than a legal obligation. The
fact is that distinction between a
legal and moral obligation OF o sover-
eiSn State is fanciful. aud is open to
the criticism OF casuistry. Even with
individuals a moral obligation cannot
differ from a legal one in point OF NOR
Atty. the only distinction being that
only legal obligation can be enforced
in the courts of law.
Moral Obligation Legal.
All ODllRdIlOnS VI tT16 League VI VA
tons are therefore merely moral obli-
cations. in the sense that there Is no
perfected world State yet in existence
10 enforce contracts between nation and
nation. But in a sense they are legal.
for a nation which violates Its contracts
gives to other nations a legitimate casus
belli, and, as Germany found to its cost.
nations will at times make war to COM
pei a recalcitrant nation to observe It's
treaty covenants.
THE whole matter can be made clear
By a homely analogy. Uncle Sam sits
down with other nations of the world
in a gigantic game of poker-for what
greater gamble is there than the issues
OF peace and war? The red chips are
human lives, the blue chips the desti-
MES of nations, the white chips dollars.
pounds francs and marks. Uncle Sam
is warned that, as he does not need
the winnings OF the game. 1t is foolish
to subject himself to the hazard. but
he is told TO console himself with the
reflection that. as gambling debts are
not collectible. the obligation to pay Is
only moral II he wins he will ask
that the chips be cashed: II he loses
he may deny the legal obligation and
use his own Judgment as to whether he
will respect the moral obligation.
Can any great nation take the posi-
ton that It will refuse to pay when 1t
loses because the debt is not sufficiently
legal to be enforceable? In that igno-
minious position President Wilson would
put proud and generous nation.
The League of Nations contradicts
the fundamental idea of international
law that all nations are equal In the
enjoyment OF sovereign rights. 1t vainly
attempts to vest the effective and prac-
teal control of the world in five nations.
ut is an amazing fact and too COM
monty ignored that the structure of the
League of Nations is the negation of the
great principle. the violation of which
caused the world war. When Austria
issued its ultimatum to Serbia, Serbia
asked for a hearing and offered to refer
the whole dispute to The Hague tri-
bunal. Serbia was a little State. but
its right to a day In court did not de-
lend upon its relative size. France and
Russia. and, later, England, sprang to
arms in defence of the principle that a
State. be 1t ever so small. has. in the
community of nations. an equality of
rsht-just as Belgium later claimed
that, even though it were weak, as COM