The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-05
White Converted.

nut hluW just Wnen-Wlu SIT GOWN ana
make up the league"
White Converted.
When Henry White, Republican NOM
Der OF the American mission, went to
Paris he shared Senator Lodges view
that the league could be discussed later
on, but soon he changed when he OBJ
served conditions. Great Britain sided
with President Wilson very promptly
on the necessity Of making the league
a vital part OF the peace treaty and
the resolution to that effect is now
binding upon the delegates, To satisfy
the purport Of Senator Lodges proposal
the whole discussion of last January at
Paris would have to be reopened and
many tangled problems which it has al
ready has been agreed should be left
to the league when 1t is once created
would be thrown on the table once
more. Europe would regard any such
action by America as bad faith and a
striking disregard for the necessity OF
an early peace treaty.
It is easy to say conclude terms with
Germany and talk league Of nations
afterward, punish Germany and let the
diplomats care for the rest but most
everybody in Paris who cares about see
ing his war ended without the chance
Of another war before the ink on the
peace treaty is dry realizes that unless
some general international organization
is established to execute the provisions
Of the settlement there will be a half
dozen Alsace- Lorraines in the world
and ill-feeling sufficient to bring on
more bl%oodshed.
| FTbara Ig n aNapipNnV4 failing on thA
fact that Germany shall be punished.
Nobody has suggested l~eniency for the
enemy, but to make peace with the
enemy it is necessary to state specific
ally what shall be done with the prop
erty and territory taken from the enc
my. The victors are at odds, The
league of nations is the formula by
which II is hoped that the world can
get a preliminary peace treaty and the
| disposition of mar vexing questions
shall be distributed over future years
under the eyes OF all the participating
members Of the league.
Strictly speaking, the league Of ma"
lions becomes a continuing peace con-
ference, and Just so soon as there is a
defininte agreement on its powers and
| functions, the work of making a spe-
| cific treaty with Germany will be easy.
Face Big Crisis.
1t was only natural that the senators
| should deliver themselves of strong
opinions on the particular form Of the
league of nations plan as presented to-
day, out it is very doubtful indeed II all
the 81 senators whom Mr.. Lodge de-
| clared to have pledged themselves In
axNnD.itinn mould CARA tn faka the pA.
sponsibility OF defeating the will Of Eu-
o D and the work of the Paris peace
conference later on. II they do, they
| will put themselves in political jeopardy
in the next election, for Democrats will
| not hesitate to say their opponents
have more than justified the apprehen-
| sions of President Wilson last autumn
when he asked for a Democratic con-
gress on the ground that they would
assist him in working out his peace pol
icies more than would his opposition.
Iuseparably bound up In the success
of the Paris conference Is the question
Of an early return Of all the American
forces from Europe. Whether there
| shall be a league Of nations is no longer
| debated In Europe, America has not
| much choice now except on the details
OF the league, The principle itself has
been accepted. There will be a league
of nations. 1t will be a success or fail
ure, depending upon how much power
is given Il by the members, II the
| United States should block the measure,
all the friendship w have gained
through participation In the war would
be lost.
Europe would look askance and won
| der IL. after all, the United States cared
more for her own prosperity and mate
rial welfare than she did about the
rest of the world, that II she entered
the world to make the world safe for
democracy and to protect France and
| England from the German menace or
merely to prevent Germany, as the vic
| tor, from ~encroaching upon Americas
supposed desires for commercial con-
quest.
These are the things many people In
Europe have been saying about Amer
lea anyway, but a return to the policy
of isolation held by the United states
before the European war which demon
| strated how narrow the Atlantic ocean
really was would only destroy the pres
| tige Of this country abroad.
President wilson's professions on be-
| half OF America would be discredited
of course, but it Is not merely the rep
utation of a man, but the prestige of A
nation that is now at stake. That's
why most people here do not take Sc
rIously the prospect that Senator
Lodges list of 81 senator's means a re-
lection Of the forthcoming peace treaty
by the United States senate, On the
contrary, 1t would not be surprising II
every one OF the 81 men would have to
explain his position TO his constituency
in the next few weeks.
From a political point of view it may
prove more embarrassing to the sena-
| tors themselves than to President Will
son, for there Is going to be a league OF
nations, and it will be established with
in he current year, But what Is even
more interesting-the senators them
selves will change. They will ratify
whatever treaty comes from Paris.
| However much they may influence the
- THAI apn $40