The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-03
BECK FOR ALLIANCE
INSTEAD OF LEAGUE
Urges Temporary Pact Be-
tween U. s. and Entente Till
Order Is Restored.
COVENANT "WILL FAIL"
Tells Carpet Men He Feels
Honored by Mayor Hy-
lan's Enmity.l

A temporary alliance until law and
order 10 restored" of the United States,
Great Britain. France. Belgium and
Italy was advocated last night by James
NJ. Beck as a substitute for the League
of Nations. The ideal alliance he pic
tured as that OF the tricolor-America
Great Britain and France. which are
closest in sympathies and Ideals.
In his opinion. the league. even with
its covenant amended. is bound to fail.
and Americas membership in It will
violate the admonitions OF Washing
toms farewell address.
Mr.. Beck was the principal speaker
at the annual dinner of the Carpet As
ISOLATION OF America at the Waldorf.
Nobody tried to stop him. in fact he
was hugely cheered. The toastmaster.
George McGeachin. president of the Up
holstery Association of America, alluded
to the recent suppression of Mr.. Beck
at the Metropolitan Opera House by
Mayor Hylan and in New Rochelle by
the Mayor OF that city. Whereupon Mr..
Beck. beginning his address, spoke of
the great honor conferred upon me by
his Honor. the Mayor of New York, and
the lesser honor of the lesser town.
Honored by Their Enemity.
"They honored me- Mr.. Beck said,
ain the only possible way they could. and
that was by their enmity. Had they and
the common master of both OF them
approved anything l had said or done
7
The League of Nations question. he
said, was infinitely above partisan poll
tics. and he was as glad that some
distinguished Republicans favored the
league as that some distinguished Demo-
Gratis opposed II. After five months OF
armistice the Peace Conference still was
floundering in a morass. He had no
doubt that the Monroe Doctrine would
be Incorporated finally in the compact
but II was much more important that
America should have regard for what
Mr.. Beck called the Washington doc
trine"
He sketched the history of the Fare
well Address to indicate how all the
wisdom. not only of Washington. but OF
Joffer son. Hamilton and others. was put
into II and how Washington attempted
to project his mind over generations
yet to come and foresee crises in Amer
lean history in which something that he
could say might keep his country from
error
Against Permanent Alliance.
He laid stress or the Injunction
against permanent fofeign Alliances as
/ opposed to temporary alliances in ex-
uaordinary circumstances to which
Washington said, America could safely
| trust.
From that tomb at Mount Vernon the
voice OF Washington is speaking to the
American people tonight" Mr.. Beck
| said. He never wanted us to be COM
! plctely isolated. a hermit nation, but UNI
! less words are meaningless he meant
| that America should never inextrica bly,
| entangle her destinies with those of for
| eigr politics, with the congeries OF ma
| ticns In Europe. I believe he would say
that any attempt TO subordinate the will
OF this country to the superstate was a
departure from the policy he had laid
| down"
| Mr.. Beck said that Article Y. OF the
| league covenant meant that the United
| States would be obliged, no matter
| what the quarrel, to intervene and do II,
|, part in preserving the political indepen
dence and territorial integrity OF any Of
the contracting nations.
1T believe" he continued, that Amer
| lea would be greater factor II 1t die
not enter such an alliance, for II would
become the arbiter of the world In an!
! controversy fairly affecting all civiliza
ton. If we are to be only a unit In q
group. subordnated to other nations
| that outvote us. II We are to enter this
! blind pool, then the moral verdict OF
America will have infinitely less weight
Fear italian JugO-Slav War.
He envisioned the prospect of war ir
the not distant future between Italy ant
Jugo-Slavia, and predicted dissensior
here no matter what side the United
States took because of the numbers o.
Italians and Jugo-Slavs here.
There Is no greater delusion," he as
serted. than to suppose that when tn,
peace treaty Is signed in Paris Their,
will be an end of war. There Is M
likelihood of the defeated nations last
ingly agreeing in any decision made II
Paris.
That man is blind who thinks tina
the ordinary passions and economi,
strife are going to bring forth any diff
ferent fruit in the future than they hav,
brought forth in the past. However, tn
idea has been held up to distracted Eu
ropc that the League of Nations is
possible panacea for Its Ills, SO II m
league Is formed there will be profoun'
disappointment among the masses"
Mr. Beck liked Elihu Roots sugges
tion that the period of American obli2a
ton under Article X be limited to fiv
years, but he believed a better solution
was tho alliance of the countries name,
in the first paragraph of the foregoing
No league of all. or nearly all. tn
great nations was possible in Mr.. Beck
| opinion. because of the differing stand
ards OF civilization and lack of identlt
of interest and harmony OF purpose
But after all our true klndredshlp wa
with Great Britain and France. 1t wa
no mere coincidence. Mr.. Beck said, tina
these two countries and the Unite
States have the red, white and blue 4
, their flags.
THE tricolor," he said, will surviv
the proposed League Of Nations"
He also predicted that the agreemen
of the league would not last five years
3 RAG PICKERS' SHOPS UNFIT.