Imperial Valley press., 1919-05-12
NOT 4 LEAGUE, BUT THE LEAGUE.

The Covenant of the League Of Nations IS
now definite fact, to be accepted or rejected as
such. together with the entire treaty OF peace.
The action of the conference leaves no room
for further speculation and conjecture. Amerl-
can critics, especially those who are members or
the United States Senate, no longer pretend
that they favor League OF Nations, but are OPP
posed to thIs particular League Of Nations. Eth
they III FAVOR ct TINS league or they are not
in favor OF any league.
Although some Of the changes made in the
text OF the original covenant make for clarity
Of expression and more precise limitations OF
responsibility, the most important amendments
were drawn to meet American objections. Ihe
purpose was not to make the covenant more
Workable instrument Of international law and
general peace, but to dispose OF the senatorial
complaints that the Onlted States, which has
suffered least Of all the active beIigerents, was
suIreadeTng 100 much into the hands OF It's as
sociates in the league.
SO far as American opposition coherent
OF honest, It has unQuestiOnably been met III
the amendments suggested by MI. Taft and
adopted through the influence Of President Viii
son. The conference has given extraordinary
proof OF its belief that no League Of Nations IS
possible without the United States and that every
legitimate criticism that might imper the ac-
ceptance Of the league by the American people
must be met.
TO have gone further would have been to put
in jeopardy the whole structure. The President
mas adequately met his responsibilities III Paris
and the American people must now meet thelr5
at home.
There can Lc no doubt that those OF the criti-
cism5 10 which the Covenant Of the league has
been subjected in the United States mad no high
Ct source than politics. Many OF the vehement
critics are professional politicians who appar-
emily VINO would willing to see civilization stran-
gled + they thought thai the supreme catastrophe
Cf ali the centuries would discredit Woodrow
Wilson. They live in a world that is bounded
on all four sides by heir antagonism to the
President, and to them nothing else matters
much.
These men, however, do not represent Amer
ican sentiment in any OF its broader aspects. The
American people are al one with the other p0-
pies Of the world in desiring durable peace.
They are not looking Tor political issue in a
national campaign, but for practical method of
reducing the causes Of war and localizing the
conflict if war comes about. If they make their
opinion effective, there need be no apprehension
as 10 the action Of the Senate.
Certain It is that the covenant stands, with
Il formal recognition Of the Monroe Doctrine
and its specific provisions against making do
mcstic questions subject to the jurisdiction Of
the league, there can be no substantial claim that
the American people have been asked to sur
render anything that they should not be glad
TO surrender in an effort to spare the world d
repetition Of the calamity that has befallen it.
TO assume that they are capable Of failing
mankind at this crisis is to assume that they
have turned against all the great principles of
human liberty they have up3ald for nearly $50
years.