The Washington herald., 1919-03-09
AMERICAS ARMED FORCES
NEEDED TO BACK LEAGUE
BY JOHN LLOYD BALDERSTON.
Copyright, 1913. BY The Mcclure Newspaper

BY JOHN LLOYD BALDERsTON.
Copyright, 1913. by The Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.l
Paris, March S.-Woodrow Wilson
is more or less running this Peace
Conference. Everyone, friend and
foe. is agreed on that The Prime
Minister of France, who disbelieved
in, and hated, the very idea of q
community of power" now repeats
to himself every evening when he
goes to bed. Georges Clemenceau,
you believe in the league of ma
tions." We have his own authority
for that. And Premier Orlando of
Italy, a statesman of the old school,
said sadly the other day: Your
President could bring about revo-
luton in my country in twenty-four
hours" A statesman who serious
ly believes this is not likely, what
ever his own opinions. to seriously
oppose Mr.. Wilson's plans.
Since America in the person OF
her President appears to be dictat-
ing the peace, it is not without
interest and anxiety that people ask,
what is the American world pol
icy?" I have tried my best to find
out. and 1t is with some diffidence
that i say that I do not know. With
some diffidence, because I have not
been in my own country since the
beginning Of the war, and what is
mysterious to me in the foggy at
mosphere of benighted Europe is
doubtless clear to the more FORUM
ate reader. But OF my American
friends who have recently come TO
the banks Of the Seine, none seems
to have any better idea than have,
so I am encouraged to set down
some of the difficulties. some of the
apparent contradictions, that be-
wilder and puzzle the whole OF Eu-
rope, as well as myself.
League a Reality.
We now have a league of nations.
Half the world in Paris see in this
organization the dawn of a new
golden age, the other half puts
its tongue in it's cheek when the
subject is mentioned. But both
halves agree on one thing, that
the league was forced down the
throats Of the reluctant delegates
of the continental powers by Wood
row Wilson, backed up by Lloyd
George.
Ht lpVOUrUVO <AAAACA iNOAA -
President Wilson assured the world,
came to Europe in a new crusade
and fought for the league of ma
tions. Very good, says Paris, but
how comes it that President Will
son sat silent when Lloyd George
in the earlier discussions OF the
league as applied to colonies an
grily demanded:
fg that nTnnOEa max
ing us and the French and the others
manufactures over places all over the
world but won't commit America to
anything of the sort? Do you pro-
pose to stand alone outside the re-
sponsibilities and burdens your league
will impose on us?'
President Wilson was silent. Paris
heard of the incident next day and
was not long in deciding why. The
President made no reply because there
was nothing to say, for no man living
knows whether the American people
are willing to solemnly undertake to
administer territory and send troops,
If need be, to Asia or Africa or Eu-
rope in support OF the policies of the
league, a league in which the United
States, like every other power. Will
have a very small part of the say.
And yet, upon this question OF
whether the American people will
agree to place their potential force
military and economic, at the disposa
of the league Of nations, depends nC
less momentous an issue than wheth-
er the league of nations is the most
radical departure in the history oi
human government, sort of United
States of the World, or a rehash oi
William Jennings Bryan's old breath
ing-spell arbitration treaties.
The other plenipotentiarics here car
bind their governments and peoples to
such an agreement; President Wilson
cannot. This not only because under
our Constitution the Senate must rat
ify a treaty that is binding upon other
nations as soon as their delegate:
have blotted their signatures, but be-
cause the American people, having
less to lose than any other by tn,
failure of the league Of nations. less
danger to fear from neighbors, anC
having undoubtedly contributed leas
thought to the subject, cannot fairly
be said to have given their Presiden
a mandate" to commit them forever
to a supernatural control of theil
own destinies by a parliament o.
man.
Want Powerful Authority.
Much confusion Of thought can b.
avoided II this distinction is kept IL
mind-that while everybody now of
fers lip service to the league Of ma
tions, those persons who really wan
league propose to endow ii witt
powers, physical and economic, to en-
force its DEGREES. These persons in