The sun., 1919-02-23
HILL ALSO OPPOSES
COVENANT AS FUTILE
Former Ambassador to Ger
many Says 1t Transcends
the Constitution.
CRITICTSES PEACE DELAY
Warns That Enemy Is Defiant
and Recognizing, and Asks
"Who Are Victors2'

WAsuINGToN, Feb. 22.-Continuation
for the defence OF world law and Justice
OF the Entente which has been formed
to suppress German Imperialism was
urged by David Jayne Hill, speaking
to-day before Sons and Daughters OF the
n American Revolution. as an alternative
4, TO the proposed League of Nations, which
lie said meant abandonment OF the ira
ditional policy of Washington and
= sgainst which there wero many great
constitutional objections
IL would not be understood as Offer
Ing offensive criticism Of the PLAN" Mr..
Hill said. There are many admirable
2 features in II, . l.. but in view Of COM
plications that / believe are certain TO
arise would wish to qualify our paru-
cipation In any compact by precisely the
y words that were employed In accepting
, the Hague convention In 1899 and again
In 1907"
Mr.. Hill, who is 4 member of the per-
manent Administrative council OF The
Hague and former Ambassador to
Germany, quoted this restriction as fol-
lows:
Nothing contained in this conven-
tion shall be so construed as to re-
suire the United States OF America to
depart from its traditional policy OF
q not intruding upon. interfering with
or entangling itself in the political
p questions or policy or internal ad-
ministration OF foreign State. nor
shall anything contained in the said
convention be construed 10 imply a
. REIMBURSEMENT by the United States
Of America OF its traditional attitude
: toward purely American questions.
:. That we should faithfully perform
our part in the preservation Of peace
among the nations and IN defence OF the
great principles OF international law
no patriotic American, am sure, would
"Nor can II be assumed that occasions
may not arise-for one already has
arisen-when 1t may become our duty
to send armies to distant lands in order
TO suppress a common enemy.
But this does not require our enter
E Ing into an unlimited obligation in all
, circumstances to assume protection OF
distant peoples, to enter into their dis
+ putes, to place our resources at the
disposal OF central authority that
may at some time be dominated by
q combination of interests adverse
, TO our own. to submit to foreign con-
troll our standards of life, cur conditions
and rewards Of labor, ana, even power
over our fortunes and out Hves. There
is no good reason why We should COM
init our posterity to such unnecessary
hazards"
Mr.. Hill said the nation must not, In
promoting the aspiration for peace, over
look the concrete experience Of history
1T is absurd to assume" he continued
that because we desire peace we have
. warrant for believing that national
and racial motives no longer exist For
centuries compacts of peace have been
made and broken. but the peoples have
remained the same.
THE test is in achievement and wha,
has thus far been actually achieved In
making peace with Germany.
Germany Filings Defiance.
"In November, 1918. tho German
armies were defeated in the field and
an immediate unconditional surrender
could have been obtained with a peace
, signed in Berlin. Three months later
after long negotiations by the five great
Powers among themselves, no definite
terms of peace have been presented. In
the meantime Germany, rehabilitatet
, under what processes to be a democratic
e. eminent, but which includes a larg,
/. portion Of the old element of control
INC army .TeOTBaulzhS and still
possessed of arms. and with the pros
pect of adding millions to the popula.
ton by the accession Of Austria, ding,
the defiance OF her seventy million
people In the face OF the conference II
Paris. claims exemption from paymen,
of indemnities on the ground that tn,
terms OF peace were agreed upon befor,
the armistics and virtually says TO tn,
Entente Allies when their armies ar,
largely demobiliEed:
ar you intend TO impose upon u.
terms TO which we have not agreed yo,
will have 10 invade and conquer oul
, country"
Z Mr.. Hill recounted recent interna
! tional developments, said Turkey ST.,
was in command OF the Dardanelles, that
Russia was raising great armies to de-
stroy nationalism. and that "a sympa,
tinker with Bolshev!sm"' had been SEN
. BY the United states to negotiate witt
! the Bolshevists in the Princes Islands
He asked
What then is the coming peace to b,
and when will II be concluded? Who
I In fact, are the victors? / shall not pre-
/ sumo to say what Washington would
. think OF this procedure, but l am con.
, ndent he would regard It as "A time 10,
. this nation to put its trust in itself ant
not too much In others"