New-York tribune., 1919-04-07
Isn't and Never Was

L. l.,
the bellwether of "The League to En-
force Peace" This organization, it will
be recalled, once laid great emphasis on
the penultmate word of its name. The
central thought of its propaganda was
that definite big stick should be put
in pickle for peace disturbers.
Tt trumpeted it would not be satisfied
with mushy reiteration of pious asplra-
tions. William Howard did not propose
to be fooled by such old stuff. He wanted
a sanction, sanction with teeth, a
horned, two-fsted sanction. One could
almost hear the tramp Of the lnterna-
tional army and the thunder of the inter
national fleet
But Mr.. Taft is cheerful man, an
incorrigible optimist Mark Tapley
never long displeased. He cannot hold
himself to mood of dissatisfaction. On
second thoughts the political result In
1912 was not so bad-Utah and Vermont
are both excellent states.
So, when the covenant was born, sans
sanction, he forget all about the sanction
and swallowed the project whole, saying
he liked the taste of it. Indeed he has
since been busy cauterizing away the
buttons above the brow of the covenant
that might grow into horns.
At last accounts he was still urging
the amendments that no league action
be permitted without unanimous consent
and that any member should be allowed
to withdraw at will. Thus he would have
quilting party, not a league to enforce
peace. The rules of the gathering would
be that not even q thimble could tap any
one, unless every one, including the pro-
posed victim, consented.
But there is another set of peace
leaguers, gathered in an organization
called "The League of Free Nations
Associations" who are less inclined to
accept paste for diamonds. This society,
representing some of our foremost in
telligentsia, has been holding weekly
meetings and fathers a series of amend
ments which have been cabled to Paris.
The most important Is that national rep
resentatives at the world council shall
not be appointed by governments, but be
elected by the peoples of the constituent
nations.
Originally this organization held 1t
essential that the delegates so elected
should have legislative power and that
non-self- governing territories should
have free trade, but it apparently is
now willing to drop these items, provided
1t is made easier for Germany and Russia
to join the league.
The London Nation is an organ in
Great Britain of those who want leacue
delegates elected and not appointed. It
quotes with scorn that part of the PreSi-
dents speech at Boston wherein he said
that the base of the league must be the
peoples, not the governments. of the
world. 1t points out that the high con-
tracing parties of the covenant are not
the Peoples, but these same suspect Gov
ernnents. If delegate does not do as
his government directs he will come home
the delegate will be merely an am
bassador bound to obey orders.
The London Nation thus can see
in the plan nothing but scheme for
ambassadors to meet in one place instead
of being scattered about as now. every
democratic organization in the political
and industrial world ought without de-
lay" says The Nation, "rnakc a con-
certed and vigorous effort to rescue the
idea Of League of Peoples from this
body Of death"
The covenant, as first published, con-
tainad phrases and antiquities that laid
foundations for claims impinging on
national sovereignty. 1t threw the door
open to disputes as to whether or not
the league members were or were not
required to do specified things, and thus
dedicated league meetings to quarrclIing.
elimination and recrimination. These
i