The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-03

Blttef frutt OF MAO dreams.
Could the American people want
any better testimony regarding the
purpose and the effect of the pro-
posed League OF Nations than the
calls and appeals of all the foreign
races and peoples that we come into
1t on terms they indorse; than their
common fear that we will not come
into 1t because of what 1t will cost
us and do to US?
If the League Of Nations, In the
amazing form 1t Is offered to us, were
as much for our good as for the good
of all the nations and tribes Of Eu-
rope, Asia and Africa, bankrupt In
man power, bankrupt in money. bank
rupt In prospects, Is there a chance
that they would implore US, as they
do implore US, to contribute our
power, our wealth, our sovereignty,
our destiny to their needs and uses
Is there a chance that IL instead Of
being the one great asset of the
league we were a liability they would
beseech us to come in? Is 1t n GER
tainty thattbey would let us come in?
Think Of the plan published In
a Paris newspaper last week and
brought to US by the cable, to have
pooling Of the funds of the peoples
to pay pensions to the sufferers from
the war! In brief, the suggestion is
that there should be a yearly dis
bursement, as the League Of Nations
first budget, OF some $500, 100000. OF
this amount the United States would
be expected to supply SO per cent,
or some $4,000, 900; Great Britain,
0 per cent, or some $4,000, 900 (;
France. per cent, or some $4,000
600; Italy, the same amount, with the
rest divided among Japan and the
smaller nations.
The distribution suggested would
be $160,000.O00 year to France !;
SIS, 100000 year to Great Britain,
$50, 100000 year to Italy, and $15,-
100000 TO the United States!
OF course this is plain lunacy. The
American people would obllterate
any home Government of theirs that
ever dared even whisper such pro-
posal as right and function of the
lea que. The most visionary of our
own league representatives In Paris
could not fail to comprehend this
fact. The widest dreamer that hangs
on the outskirts Of our visionary dele
gates could at least sense the politi-
cal danger OF trying to lay such
matter before the American people.
OF course nothing will ever be done
by anybody with such an astounding
such an insufferable scheme. Never
theless, at that, the proposal of the
Paris newspaper Is merely the IN
evitable result of the league vapor-
,ngs to which our own official dele
gates have given countenance, Of
which, indeed, they have been the
The impractical, emotional, hysteri-
cal stuff that has been talked abroad
In our name, that has been set
awning for flights as far as among
the naked tribes Of Africa and the
nomads OF the deserts Of
Asia, has all started alike at the very
Of our own delegation
In Paris. Our league propaganda. be-
ginning as a dream merely impossible
or silly, was flashed around and
around the earth. becoming delirium
wild, preposterous, monstrous.
1t Is inconceivable that the Ameri-
can people would ever go crazy over
the dreams and visions in this pro-
posed League of Nations. But 1t Is
not hard TO understand how the
world sick and ignorant, the needy
and distressed, even those who were
heroes on the battlefield but are
children when listening to the fairy
story, could go quite mad over the
things that the American people
seemed to offer them--the treasure,
the bounty, the indulgence-when Il
great man went back and forth among
the peoples Of Europe telling them
what America could do, was deter
mined to do, would never give over
insisting upon doing, TO make all
men free. to make all men joyous
to create a heaven on earth for all
mankind.
What wrong in truth have our
visisssS. les 49, committaaars gaipst
those whom they thought they were
trying TO help when they were In fact
but misleading them, with their wit
Iaaa vannrinuS m iafar md nr,tol