The sun., 1919-02-05
Presidents Proposals in
Danger of Complete
EmasculatiOn.
JAPAN ENTERS FOLD
Adopts Principle for First
Time, but Has Sugges-
tiOns to Offer.
RATIFICATION UNCERTAIN
With Teeth Drawn. Document
Is About Same as Bryan
Treaties.
RATIFICATION UNCERTAIN
BY LAURENCE HILLS.
Stdf Correspondent Of THE SUN.

Copyright 1919: all rights reserred
PARIS. Feb. 4.-The plan of the
League Of Nations upon which Presi-
dent Wilson has built his hopes 10
now in danger of complete emascu-
lation. These are the outstanding
features Of the negotiations to-day:
l. Compulsory arbitration, which
was TO be the binding medium and
the crux Of the Presidents plan, is
temporarily, possibly permanently
out of the league plan, and while
some form of coercive force to pre-
vent wars from becoming general
still is retained 1t is not known in
what way this is to be applied.
.. Japan has adopted the league
plan for the first time, expressing
her sympathy with its general prin-
ciples and asking for an opportu-
nifty to submit some suggestions,
without any desire, however, to OBJ
struct progress.
3. Frances lack of sympathy
with the league is increasing and
It is evident is making it unlikely
that the constitution of the league
will be ratified by the conference
before President Wilson sails for
the United States. or even that It
will emerge from the committee
which Is at work upon IT,
4. The President is assured by
his experts that the constitution Of
the league is strictly within tho
American Constitution. as every
point has been framed carefully
with the Constitution in mind
Plan Draws Heavy Fire.
The first draft OF the details of the
league, as The SrN predicted. has
drawn concentrated fire on many
features, the chief being compulsory
which would compel the
signatories to submit their differences
to arbitration under threat that the
Powers of the league would
be used against them. With the idea
Of supersovereignty already discarded
the elimination of this feature would
leave apparently only the force of
moral condemnation and little or no
basis for the leagues mandates.
1t iS impossible to see now much
more In the League of Nations than
Is in the Bryan arbitration treaties.
for the guarantee of the worlds peace
would rest chiefly on the moral power
Of the league, which many have con
tended would he insufficient TO in
luce the nations materially to reduce
their armamentS and do away with
their present safeguards.
1t is evident that the President Is
disturbed over the situation which
has arisen in the last two days, con
frmlng many predictions that the
real trouble would come when the
plan was put on paper, Even Lord
Robert Cecil and the President are
unable to agree AS yet upon the fran
ng of certain features, although they
stand together on the Fundamentals.
II was learned late tonight that
he plan is likely To provide that all
disputes must he settled
'ither by arbitration, by mediation or
by n formal inquiry. Any one Of
heSe courses would enable the
League OF Nations to discover the
facts in any quarrel and would pro-
vide 1t with basis on which II could
decide which Of the parties 10 the dis
pute must be coerccd.
Big Question for United states.
The Mdtir declares that the League of
Nations will not be effective unless 1t
an use compulson instantly and auto
matiCally, and asks II the President
,an bring the United States to this point
This Is the big question for the United
states. The constitution Of the league
as now drawn up eliminates the idea OF
4 superstate. and binds its members
only to the employment OF economic
weapons, but even this will raise a con-
stitutional question In America
Another question whicl already has
come up is the extent OF Americas
In European politics. The
name of President Wilson on the de-
risou made public Yesterday in regard
to the territory disputed by the Polos
and the Czecho-Slovaks is regarded here
ms marking the entry OF America into
European boundary adjustments, = new
chapter In tho relations OF the New TO
the old World
The British and french. THE SuS
Ia able TO state, are pressing the United
States to accept mandate for Fiume
the French also want America 10 take