The Washington herald., 1919-02-23
Americans Stalking All
For League of Nations

France should be a gift and not q
loan, because France used it In
the common cause and spent her
men as well as our money and
thus saved our men three years of
sacrifice. In the vast interna-
tional horse trade for a world
peace that shall be permanent
possibly France may suggest that
Americas good will be tested by
making that loan a gift. or by at
least foregoing the interest. Who
can say offhand that we should
not do It?
May Have to Trade Sharply.
These may not be authentic
cases wherein the Americans may
have to trade sharply to get their
league of nations, yet each coun-
try does have its own peculiar in
terests at the peace table. Eng
land chiefly has the freedom of the
seas. Italy has Fiume and the
Dalmatian coast. And each na-
ton has sent to the conference its
keenest traders. 1t is significant
that in making up his peace con-
ference Premier Clemenceau left
OF NJ. Leon Bourgeois, and the
most conspicuous advocate of the
league of nations in France, even
though Mr.. Bourgeois was later
made chairman of a French COM
mittee to study the league of ma
tions. Every one in France who
believed in the league of nations,
particularly the Socialists, pre-
sumed that NJ. Bourgeois would
have a place in the peace commits
sion, because of his views. Because
of his views he may have been
dropped, for France in her pres
ent state cannot afford to give up
anything. Her industries are
wrecked, her men are dead or are
crippled to a fearful degree, her
credit is almost exhausted and she
cannot afford to play the grand
and generous benefactor of hu-
manity at the peace table. Eng
lands situation is different from
the French situation only in degree
and Italy's sacred egotism does
not prompt her to appear over
gracious. In fact, America Is the
only nation in the world that
wants nothing out OF the war, and
she will get 1t, and II for hu-
manity, America desires n league
OF nations, she will have to trade
hard for that. The American peo-
pie should realize that while at
first any one will declare he is in
favor of a league of nations. or
ganized as a kind of federation
of the world, the parliament of
mankind" the dream of the poet.
like all dreams of great blessings.
requires from each OF those who
would try to realize it a degree of
sacrifice which causes each nation
to pause before entering it, and at
the peace table to trade while
pausing.
Removing the economic causes
of war still seems rather far upon
the horizon. For Europe is the old
world. Europe does not under
stand gratuities; II disbelieves in
them; not that Europe does not
want something for nothing from
America. far be it. but Europe alb
solutely refuses to believe in our
own obvious benevolence. Europe
our real motive. Our gratuity is
occidental. generous. possibly bIa-
tance. but surely free. And the
Orient, even the Orient still lurk-
ing in the European mind. is dis
turbed. 1t hedges itself about
with locksmiths and economists
and other devilish devices for the
protection of prosperity. and
blinks. blinks while your Uncle
Sam gets out and swcats and puffss
while he cranks the obstreperous
peace machine. And as Europe
blinks she may require of her
generous uncle more gas and oil.
Next sunday Mr.. White will writ
m the subject "Thc Pence Tha
'asseth UndcrstandIng-