Evening star., 1919-03-05
PRESIDENT DEEMED
TO HAVE GAINED
win Be Stronger Before the
Conference, Is View
of Writer.
ONLY DETAILS OPPOSED
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
President Wilson goes back to Eu-
rope strengthened rather than weak
ened in the negotiations Immediately
ensuing with the entente powers.
That may seem a contradiction of the
influence of the thirty-nine members OF
the United States Senate who openly
express their objection to the present
draft of the league Of nations, but
neither the resentment which these sem
ators feel over Mr.. Wilson'S attitude
toward them nor his own expressions
of contemptuous disregard for his
critics can change the fundamental
facts.
First of all the discussion in the Sem
ate helps Mr.. Wilson because it makes
rather plain to Europe that a return
by the United States to a policy Of iso-
lation and non on-intercourse with Euro
pean politics is still favored by large
body of influential men and the price
therefore OF Americas entry into
world organization Is the establishment
of American standards of morality ana
justice in international settlements
rather than agreements of a selfish and
imperiaiistic character based merely on
the right of conquest.
The President has been privately
criticising many of the proposals
made to him in Paris by other ma
tions on the ground that America
would not sanction anything that re-
motely resembled selfishness and in
Justice.
Effect of Opposition.
The fact that there is a considerable
opposition to Mr.. Wilson, which wants
TO have nothing at all to do with Eu-
rope. will make the European premiers
see that the President has not been
speaking in vain. that unless the
American delegation is satisfied tnat
the character of the settlements Is
that which the American people VIII
agree to, certainly the American SEN
ate. which appears to favor mini
mum participation in word poiities'
would not Sonction them.
Mr., Wilson has been in a. difhcuit
position in Paris. He has been insist
ing on a peace treaty based upon the
highest conceptions of lnternatlohai
ethics Some of the Tictors nave peeh
inclined to regard his ideai1sm as uh-
They misunderstood Americas Will
ingness to help Europe in the last war
az readiness to send troops across
the Atlantic on any occasion anu
against any group of nations to Wh1ch
the special alliance may become nos
tile. Therefore when the European
delegates at the Paris conference reao
what the American senators nave
been saving they will be quite ready
to meet Mr. Wilson's desires and
frame a treaty which he thinks wiz
be acceptable to the American people.
Lack of Frankncs ss Deplored.
If the President would only have
been more frank in his speecnes our
ing his brief visit to America ne
would have revealed that many sof
the points made by the American
senators had actually been proposed
by the American delegation. but were
rejected. Mr.. Wilson is now in posi-
ton to argue that those points must
be reinstated. Here Is Senator Knox
for example, taking identicahy tne
same position which the American
delegates took at the outset-namely'
that the league must be a compina-
ton of all the powers, including Ger
many.
! The pennsylyania senator declares
that to exclude Germany would De
merely TO set up dHotnci 20
power. That was exactly Mr.. VIII
sons position in his famous Man.
chester speech. But the American
delegates found that France believed
Germany should go on a period OF
probation. And that view became the
unanimous opinion finally OF the dele
gates for all progress at the confer
ence was by unanimous agreement.
1t is quite likely. however. that the
provision in the present draft which
would exclude any nation by Two
thirds vote will be amended NO
group of nations should have the
right to exclude any nations. but spe.
cific conditions or qualifications of
membership should be set forth, on
the satisfaction of which capacity for
fulfilling international obligations ad-
mission should be granted
Compulsory Arbitration.
Take also Mr. Knox's point about
compulsory arbitration or Senator
Borah's suggestion for the required
arbitration Of justiciable disputes; the
American delegation stood out for
these things, but had to compromise,
because of the opposition of other
delegations. In many respects, there
fore the debate in the Senate will
mean reassertion of American prin-
ciples and a warning to the peace con-
ference that the price of American
participation in European affairs Is a
recognition of those fundamentals of
international justice which the United
States has championed in the past.
Already the United States is bound
in honor by thirty treaties not to
make war until a year has elapsed
for investigation of its disputes with
thirty respective nations. We have,
so to speak. surrendered our sovereign
right to make war upon most of the
mo nf q aff
tain period has elapsed. Other ma
tions4have not adopted that principle.
Whatever happens to the league of
nations. the United States would be
bound by those treaties. Therefore
the American delegates rightly argue
that If the hands Of the United States
are tied for a year at least in each
controversy, IL war can be postponed
a year 1T can be deferred an even
longer time without any more sur
render of sovereignty.
Former President Taft's analysis of
the criticisms of the present plan for
a league Of nations indicates a whole
hearted support OF the plan that will
make Europe think he more truly
represents the spirit Of the repub-
lican party in the nation than the
Senate leaders. Europe has observed
the constant bombardment by repub-
lican senators of Mr.. Wilson but in
so far as the premiers have believed
tnaI. OpppSiIAONr " mean ITlGnCShlp
for their respective territorial claims
they have been pleased. Where the
opposition means aloofness from Eu-
ropean affairs entirely they will be
dismayed. They will imagine America
intends Withdrawing financial and
economic aid; that the republican
senators mean to leave helpless Eu-
rope to herself.
Calls Is Out of Tune.