The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-15
LEAGUE Will
tcontInued From Page one.1

missions appointed to fix the bounda-
ries OF the new states of Europe have
finished their work, others are almost
ready TO report. In many cases pro-
visional frontiers have already been
nxed. 1t Is matter of relatively
small effort to establish the general
outline Of the new frontier Of Jugo.
Slavia, Czecho-Slovakia, Roumania,
hungary and at least the western from
tiers Of Poland. Decisions are also
being approached in the case of
Greece, both in Europe and in Asia
Minor. Except for the Eastern front
1ers of Poland and the various prob
lens presented by Russia, there is no
reason why the peace conference
should not complete the European
phase Of its task by the first Of May,
and leave to various commissions the
complex, but not insoluable problems
of Asia Minor and Arabia.
League Is Big Question.
Now comes the big question. What
relation will the covenant of the
League Of Nations bear to the prelim.
mary treaty Of Peace? The Euro
pean nations. as l have said before,
are quite ready to exclude the Monroe
Doctrine from the purview Of the con-
stitution of the League of Nations,
and to make almost any other conces-
sion, provided only that the United
States on its own terms will agree to
finish its job in Europe, and, for the
time being at least, lend it's powerful
aid and its even more powerful pres
tlge to the maintenance and upbuild-
ing OF the new nations. But can these
notifications be made in time to per.
NIT the covenant of the League of
Nations as amended to become a part
OF the preliminary treaty Of peace?
! do not think so. What seems likely
is that the preliminary treaty of peace
will pledge all the nations signatory
thereto to participate in a League of
Nations. later to be formed. This
would constitute declaration of prin-
ciple. Conceivably, President Wilson
will oppose this and insist that the
whole League of Nations be tightly
bound to the treaty of peace, even in
its preliminary form. Only in such
a case IS 1t conceivable that there
may be difference of opinion be-
tween the American and the European
representatives.
There is no mistaking the pressure
among the peoples of Europe for
peace. AS / have said, the prelimin.
airy peace will be accepted everywhere
as the fact of peace, as it will be in
all but the technical phases. To post
pone the signing Of this preliminary
peace IN order to amend the League
OF Nation covenant and make it a part
thereto, would certainly arouse oppo-
sition and Impotence. My Judgment
is that it is the expectation of the
American commissioners now in Paris
that the preliminary treaty of peace
VIII contain only a declaration of prin-
clple concerning the League of Ma
tions
Urgent for Peace.
In sum, then, President Wilson on
MS return will find Europe with it's
mlnd practically made up to the new
arrangement of its own affairs, both
territorial and financial; he will find
1T cordial, sympathetic partisan of
his fight in America, but unwilling to
postpone the making of the prelimin-
army peace to conform to political ne
cessities in America.
Another circumstance Is worth men,
tioning. Practically every one of the
disputes between the various races.
such as that between the Italians and
the Jugo-Slavs, between Poland and
the Czecho- Slovaks, between the Rou.
manians and the Lithuanians, and be-
tween the Greeks and the Italians,
seems likely in the end to wait upon
American arbitration, since we alone
nave no secret treaties or established