Evening journal., 1919-04-30
For The Senate
(FrOm Tho New York SUM-

The text Of the revised scheme OF
the League OF Nations is now before
the public. Il has been accepted by
the Peace Conference. The changes
rrom the earlier draft are In soma in
stances notifications OF the original
proposal. in many instances mere var
iations Of arrangement and verbal ex-
preston It VIII b noted that in
.tead Of being styled a constitution
following a brief covenant as preamble
10 the several articles. the entire docu-
mcnt is now described as a cove
nant.' that is. preamble. articles and
Innex The change is non-essential.
The covenant Is a treaty just the same.
and Il must go in the constitutional
way to the Senate Of the United
States for ratification. rejection or
amendment as the Senate may in its
wisdom determine.
IN the main the revised league IS
the same old league which the Amer
lean people have been considering for
Two months and a half, and which
tie Sun has been discussing from
time to time with reference to features
Ia our opinion Objectionable and inn
possible Of acceptance.
This IS still, thank heaven a repub-
lie bound by It's traditional policy and
BY the spirit Of our Institutions and
by the provisions Of our Constitution
Itself to avoid any such entanglements
IN European affairs. any such Involve
nent in a quagmire Of unreckoned re-
spons bilities as President Wilson had
IN mind when he nrst went aboard
the George Wash ngton and steamed
away from his post Of constitutional
1uty We do not believe that the YER
bal attempts in the revised version TO
evade the manifest dangers OF the pro-
posed enterprise. even at the expense
Of the working efficiency OF the league
for Its avowed purposes. have sue
eeeded 10 making the document sat
isfaclory to American sent ment. We
are very sure that when the covenant
reaches the United States Senate The
process Of scrutiny viii be not less
care'ui and critical the resistance to
unconstitutional and dangerous en-
eagements not less resolutely inde-
pedent of President Wilson's Individual
r'll In the matter. than IL would
have been n the LEAGUE had gone TO
the nnal judge OF lts merits In the
form IN which 10 was first publ shed
last February. Furthermore. we are
confldent that Americ8p sentiment WI
support the Senate IN taking all the
time necessary for del heraie action
concern 'ng a proposal Of surprising
Importance to the future Of our c0un-
try. which has required so many
months for the proponent thereof to
formulate for subm sson at Washing
ton 10 the supreme authority In treaty
making.
One interesting and important ques-
ton however. Is suszested by the pub
iication Of this covenant IN separate
form apart from the general treaty.
The whole treaty must so TO the Sem
ate for the same const tutional process
OF examination. ratneat.on with or
without amendments or reservations,
or rejection outright n Il cannot be
brought into consonance with the ma
nonal interests Of America frst. last
and chiefly The people are thus re-
minded OF the soundness snd fores. .ght |
OF the proposal contained In the reso-
luton offered by Senator Knox when
Congress met last December. The Knox
resolution separated the making OF
peace from the making Of any sort
Of league Of nations
The treaty OF Ipace terminating the
war and war conditions and war ex-
pendiiures was to be concluded. ac-
cord'ng 70 the terms 81 the Knox
resolution. as speedily as possible and
strictly in accordance with the de-
clared aims for which the United
States entered the war. On the other
hand. any project for a general Le7gue
of Naiions was 10 be treated as a sep
srste proposition and disposed Of sep
lrately. This proper Division Of sub
Iecis was stubbornly resisted by Pres
dent Wilson and his spokesmen and
political agents IN the then Demo-
cratic Committee on Foreln Relations
In a then Democratic Senate and Con-
yess. The sequel involving months
snd months Of delay m closing the
e. ar and cost 'ncalculable to the Amer
Lean pe0ple-the Ions postponementl