The Washington herald., 1919-04-27

tions we VIII see that they define
the first object OF the league as the
promotion of international co-opera-
ton: that war Is not mentioned
until the third object Is defined.
and that the purpose OF the
league Is said to be not the abolition
of war but the provision Of safe
guards against war. This shows
clearly that the founders OF the
league are under no illusion They do
not expect to be able to prepare
document which evill inaugurate the
millennium and make war Impossible
! They hope to arrive at that goal by
gradual stages They realize that
all history teaches US that 1t Is i'm
possible to prevent men from lighting
| IL they are set upon IL; that attempts
to stop nations preparing for war by
repressive enactments have always
failed in the past and will very prob
ably fail IN the future.
! They hope to prevent war not so
much by reducing ornaments as by
removing the causes which have made
Iarmaments necessary in the past and
they look chiefly to this The third
the foundation of the league Is to be
permanent organization and secret
arial: that Is to say. there VIII always
be in existence machinery for bring
! ing together around a table to discuss
international problems the experts in
each country upon those problems.
This Is in itself a resolution the full
effect of which II Is hard to realize.
1t means that the doors Of communi-
cation between nations will be nung
wide and that broad road. opened
to every country which cares to
tread II. will replace the old tortuous
channel OF intercourse through
foreign Offices and ambassadors.
The effect Of these resolutions was
reelected in the very next business
OF the conference, which followed
on their adoption. for the plenary
session then appointed eight COM
mfttees. and half OF these committees
had to consider questions Of future
international Cooperation rather than
questions arising out OF what we
usually understand by the terms of
peace. Commissions have been ap-
pointed to investigate international
labor problems, international water
Z
terna 1onal finance.
Sequel to War.
!. Thes" commissions are the natural
sequel to our war experience, for as
adversely gradually taught as to be
sensible. we brought together from
each Of the allied countries, experts
in tho supply of raw materials. eS-
perts on finance. experts on shipping
experts on the supply OF food. in order
that the fullest use should be made
I OF our combined resources for the
common good. 1 see similar commits
sions working together in the future
through the permanent secretarial OF
the league engaged upon making a
/ common understanding and upon rec
/ onciling conflicting national interests
\ In the future their business will be
I less the removal OF a common danger
and more the promotion OF common
good Looking back upon what was
eventually achieved by the allies dur.
ing the war in the way Of co-opers,
/ ton. IL does not seem wildly ideaIiStiC
to hope that even more may be- oh.
tained In the future. Most OF the
misunderstandings and much of the
fiction which have divided nations in
the past have arisen because there
was no machinery ready 10 hand
which could be used to remove them
II often took months or even years
or correspondence to settle even the
simplest international questions be-
cause it was rarely possible to bring
the men in each country who under
stood these questions face to face.
As an example it is only necessary
/ to refer to the frequent difficulties
which used to arise between Great
Britain and France before the entente
cOrdiale was established. these diff
culties sometimes producing sharp
crises such as the Fashoda incident,
which brought the two countries to
. the verge of war. As soon as a
simpler means of adjusting interna-
tional differences was established.
those differences disappeared. This is
the first concrete result which I ex-
/ pect to see arise out of the establish
ment Of a~league OF nations. The
basis OF the league must be the pro-
noting Of international cooperation
and from that basis We may gradually
work forward to the abolition of war.
The objects then which the trainers
Of the constitution of the league have
had in view have been firstly to re-
iAO'S hiOSl VI lilc causes which nave
led to wars in the past by making it
easier for nations to understand each
I others point of view: secondly. to
make war more difficult by ersurir z
corporate action by all who are
I interested in the preservation of
peace. The proposal that the league
should have at its disposal a per-
manent international military force
to enforce its behests has been de-
iiberately rejected as interfering un-
duly with the sovereign rights of the
nations. which may Join the league.
A Free Agreement.
/ NO democratic nation would willing
ly see its sons pass out of its control
to be used for purposes which it cam
not foreses and may not approve. The
draft constitution has been so drawn
as TO interfere as little as may be
with sovereign rights. II is designed
10 be n free agreement between free
peoples, capable OF Improvement as
experience IS gained. and It Is intend
ed in the words of President Wilson
when he presented the draft constitu-
tion to the third plenary session of
the conference. to be mot a straight
Jacket but a vehicle Of nfe." The ex-
haustion of Europe Is such that it is
almost inconceivable that another
great war should break out in the
next ten years. During these ten
years there are reasonable grounds
for hope that the nations of the world
may become accustomed to settling