The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-11
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY IL, 1919.
FRIEND OF THE LEAGUE.

One of the many Republicans who are
staunch believers in President Wilson s
idea of league of nations is express
ident William Howard Taft. To be
sure he criticizes some features of the
Wilson plan, especially the scheme for
governing the former German colonies,
Tut Mr.. Taft criticism comes from
sincere friend of the league of ma
lions, which he has advocated in sea
son and out. In the fundamentals he
does not seem to be far apart in his
IDEAS from President Wilson. He is not
Ihampcred from expressing himself with
/ frankness by the responsibilities of po-
sition as president of the United State
and as a member of the supreme coun-
ell Of the peace conference. There the
president cannot avoid the necessity of
making some compromises with opin-
ions and plans other than his own. But
/ it is evident enough that President Will
son also believes that God does not
turn His countenance away from those
who viii fight for the right, and that
there are eventualities in the affairs of
the world which make it necessary to
fight for the right When he sends
word that he is very glad that the bill
for three years naval program of
construction has been reported TO con
gress il means that he wants the Unit
ed States 10 he prepared to fight for the
right This also means that he wants
the United States to be in a position to
make the purpose Of the league of ma
tions effective.
In another respect the president of
the United and the former
president ~ even more evident
agreement. Mr.. Taft considers this
talk about entangling alliances in the
senate of the United States all bosh
He declares that, whether it will or no
it is impossible for the United Stdtes
to hold itself aloof from the affairs OF
Europe. 1t is through with provin-
cialism forever. Mr.. Taft says that
- those who think we can go back into
our she'll Of isolation are blind and
deaf to the lessons we have learned,
1t is plain that Mr. Taft is not opposed
to the mandatory plan of governing
colonies, which is considered in the
main o be President Wilson'S plan, be
cause he wants the United States tC
keep TO its own distinctly national re
sponsbilities. He believes that the
United States has world responsibilities
and that it should assume them in de
sirahle association with the powerful
and right-minded nations, with whom
it became linked in the war
Though Mr.. Taft would 20 farthe
than President Wilson has gone in Civ
ing substantial reality to the league o
nations, their thought runs alike a
TO the compulsion that the United
States is under to have its voice heart
and needed in the arrangement of TIL
i affairs of Europe. President Wilson
II told the French chamber of deputie
II that he recognized that France stoo'
Il at The frontier Of western civilization
II There was menace from the east
II eastern problems are still unanswered
y lie gave France to understand that sh
: would not be left alone to defend west
4 ern civilization alone to bear the bur
II den Of that defense And after all is
Il not The defense of western civilization
Il its love for order, its conception 0
II liberty with law its institutions whic
have grown and developed through lon
u years, and in which is combined all tha