New-York tribune., 1919-05-10
An Acid Test

Consider the relations between the So
called covenant in the Treaty of Ver-
sailles and the special engagement for
the protection of France
The managing directors of the league
are the same countries which are asked
to participate in the specific engagement
Great Britain, France and the United
States: these are the leaders-one might
almost say the masters-of the Paris
and Japan, and cloud of other nations
as proxy givers, are the owners of the
majority stock in a corporation of power.
With the three is preponderance of
wealth, of machinery and effective man.
power. Their will is law
This corporation of power, in control
of the world, would continue, it is said,
the substance of the coalition in the in
terest of peace, of self-defence, of JUS
tice. With the inner coterie of the three
or the five in command, the forces of the
general league are to be hurled against
any nation seized by war madness Here
is the essence of the league project
The most probable occasion calling for
functioning of the general league will
arise with respect to France This is
everywhere conceded Great Britain is
protected by her fleet; the United States
by the broad oceans and a demonstrated
ability to recruit and equip vast armies:
Japan by her Oriental isolation, and
Italy by the fact that the road to her
lies through France. France is on the
firing line. Her borders are the frontier.
Until the trans-Rhine region becomes
normal and trustworthy France is SEN
tinel. The general league obviously NAV
not be regarded as having a will for
peace if unwilling to aid France in the
event of another attack by Germany.
1t is to be deduced from these consid-
eratlons, is necessary consequence of
survey of political, geographic and
clinical facts, that no one can be
accepted as favorable to the idea Of a
league to enforce peace who is opposed
to special pledges to France. No advo-
cate of the league may be deemed sincere
who IS hostile to promising assistance
against an attack where there is the
greatest reason to fear it, A besieged
army looks to it's lowest walls The weak
link IN chain is strengthened if the
chain is to hold. Achilles should have
worn armor on his heel
The heart of the league is in the pro-
posed engagement for the benefit of
France. Reject it, and the league is
dead. A pulmotor is needed to oxygen
ize inactive lungs. If France is not to
DC protected, what other country may
expect protection? Imagine an engineer
pretending to want his wheels to revolve
ing belt A chauffeur who will not throw
IN clutch does not seek to travel no
matter what he may say To give lip
service to the league while refusing to
apply 1t in the clearest case is to ini-
tate the mother who consented that her
daughter should go. out to swim, but
forbade her going near water.
Attitude toward the engagement thus
furnishes an acid test of the true attitude
toward the league idea. 1t exposes the
hypocrisy Of men who consciously nro-
mote fraud. See the pretenders
acuttie, The newspaper Pecksniffs who
nave been piougly chanting psalms in
praise OF the covenant now have little
TO say. They discern great difficulties in
inc way Of getting the engagement rati-
fied. They don't want any arrangement
with teeth to it. So they confess that
aii along they have been aware that
scarcely flicker of vitality is in the
covenant plan; imply that it was pre-
pared in the hope Of fooling the public.
Respect may be felt for fiat opponent
of entry into entanglements Of any kind.
America, on the whole, has served the
world and herself we'll by aloofnesg. 1t
~ by no means certain we should depart
from the national tradition. But con-
tempt goes out TO the peace leaguer who
hlis his mouth With sanctimonious