The sun., 1919-10-18
LANSING WARNS OF
PERIL FROM WITHIN
Democracy Menaced by Foes
snd Misguided Friends,
He Says.
STATE GIVES HIM LII. ID.
Defends League of Nations
in Address Before
Regents.
STATE GIVES HIM LII. D.


ALBANY, Oct. 17--Secretary OF State
Robert Lansing tonight received the
honorary degree of LID. from the Uni
versity of the State\of New York. The
degree was given to him at the exercises
of the annual convocation of the Regents
and the conference on child welfare that
IS being held in conjunction with the
convocation.
Others who have the degree are Car
dnal Mercier, who received this honor
when he was in Albany recently:
Thomas Edison, Ambassador Jusserand
end Elihu Root.
Abram I. Ellxus of the Regents made
the presentation speech and the degree
was handed to Secretary Lansing by DR..
John II. Finley, State Commissioner of
Education.
Pleads for the League.
Secretary or State Lansing, in re-
spending, pleaded for the adoption of the
League of Nations in its present form
"lf for no other reason than that to re-
Sect II would be to discourage futureI at
tempts to obtain unity of action among
she nations in an effort to avoid inter-
national conflicts" In an address on
The Power of Democracy" Secretary
Lansing expressed the belief that ''if
every nation was a democracy in real
i.y as is .iis republic. universal peace
would be an accomplished fact and not
q goal toward which the world looks
with longing eyes striving to devise
methods by which II may be attained
Until democracy becomes the stand
ing policy of civilization, other means to
snsure to the world a continuing state of
International peace must be found" the
Secretary said, in recommending that the
League OF Nations be given q trial in its
present FORM admitting for the sake
of argument" he asserted. "all the
faults and undesirable features which its
bitterest opponents have raised against
the covenant, ] am prepared to say that
Il ought to be adopted and tried, for II
represents to-day an international con-
rert devoted to peace.
The United States, 1 am convinced -
he continued. ''wilr not be the nation to
check this movement or to discourage the
civilized States Of the earth from seeking
by united purpose and counsel to restrain
the use Of force In the settlement of dis
putes But after fair trial If the league
Eails to accomplish its objects, then is
the time by amendment to make the
covenant more efficient. Such action as
that which was taken by the conferences
at Paris when It adopted the covenant
makes for peace but does pot insure Its
oermanency. 1t is a powerful agency
but not an all powerful one The only
certainty OF unbroken peace in this
world l believe, lies in the genera
adoption OF democracy as the supreme
political principle Of all nations"
Warming Against imperialism.
Calling attention to the new problems
which confront the country, the Secretary
issued a warning against the doctrines
of Glass Imperialism"
To-day" he said, "the rights of par
tcular classes over other classes of the
population are be ng preached in oul
streets and appeals to selfishness ant
envy, and to ignorance, under the guist
OF justice, are being sen: broadcas
throughout the land. Apostles of unres
and even of revolution. as well as other
less radical and more sincere. taking ad
vantage of the industrial and CONNER
rial confusion resulting from the war
Rre seeking converts to doctrines whicl
aim to grant special privileges to certain
groups of citizens and to deprive other
of those private rights which are insep
Erable from the American conception o
Individual liberty.
The dangers, as I see them, are IN
disposition TO compromise the principle
OF equal rights with the demand Of spe
rial rights an apparent willingness 4
conciliate by concessions in order
avoid for the time being those evil condi
tons which threaten to result from tn
denial of class privileges; tirnidity Il
meeting the issue squarely and boldly
pointing out in what way 1t menaces tn
Idea of democracy. and last but by N
means least the tendency of many lead
srs OF political thought to temporize wit
and placate certain elements In our popu
Iation by accepting in a measure undern
ocratic doctrines which plainly Violat
the essential principle OF the America
political system
1T must be recorded" he added, 'tha
Se made the world safe for democracy
but that we failed to make America SAT
Tor democracy"