New-York tribune., 1919-02-15
THE WORLD


VIII come mainly from opponents of
any league OF nations, who will COM
plaln that the covenant is worthless
because it is without teeth. We have
TO remember, however, that it was sew
enty-slX years after the adoption of
Ihe constitution of the United States
before the principle was established
that a sovereign state could be coerced
yet IN that period great and wonder
ful government was built up which
proved in the crisis that it could sus-
tain itself. All this may come about
again IN respect to the League of Ma
tons. Coercion is the last resort. not
the first resort, and what the Declara-
ton of Independence calls "a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind" is
something that cannot safely be defed,
as imperial Germany learned to her
her complete destruction.
The great guarantee for the perma-
nence and stability of the League of
Nations rests upon the character of the
Executive Council which is to be the
administrative body This council is
to consist of representatives of the
united States, Great Britain, France
Italy and Japan and of four other
states to be selected from the mem
bership of the league. This means
that the great nations which have won
the war are to establish the leag .e
and keep it on q working basis. and it
happens that these nations control not
only most of the wealth and the natu-
raj resources of the world, but that
they represent the ruling races
THE SUN
The most singular thing about the
presented fO rHo 10
conference and by that body tabled for
further consideration is that while it
ingeniously and successfully avoids the
constitutional objection Just referred
to-that IS. with regard to the ahso-
lutte control Of Congress over the be-
ginning Of war by this government, it
deliberately encounters constitutional
objections equally fatal in other re-
spects.
MEANWHILE the question foremost in
the mind of "The Sun" as it must be
IN the minds of all friends of peace
and all we'll wishers Of any practical
scheme oe war prevention, is whether,
alter the elimination Of provisions re-
curing constitutional amendment
before they can be effective, the re-
maindcr of tho plan which the Presi-
dent is to bring back from France will
differ greatly from that which was
hailed at The Hague a dozen years ago
with such sincere satisfaction as the
golden gateway to a new era of world
peace and brotherhood.
THE HERALD
1t is plain that the President has car
rled his point that there shall be no
specially established military force be-
hind the league to insure it's decisions
ol,o
Moral and economic pressure, blockade
and boycott are to be the means by
which country which is making
trouble, fomenting strife and warfare
and offending against the terms of the
league will be brought to sense of its
duty and compelled to good behavior
1t will not, however, be forgotten that
# there is to be no international police
force the United States for one will
be in position to insure good be-
havlor on the part of recalcitrant
states by means of navy which, at
the urgent request Of President Will
son, is to be enormously augmented.
Great Britain also no doubt will main
tain navy sufficient for her insular
and imperial needs and the protection
Of her far flung dominions To what
extent France or Italy will deem it
necessary to maintain standing army
for the guardianship of frontiers and
navy for the protection of coast and
colonies has yet to be made clear.
Japan must also be considered in that
respect.
TIMES
"Tho decision to make the draft pub
lie, in order that it might have full
consideration, was wisely taken; it is
in accord with MIR. Wilson's principle
Of covenants openly arrived at
"The draft must undergo severe re-
vision. 1t must be reduced to statu-
tory prccision; it is too wordy and is
clumsily put together. Article XII,
which contains the foundation cove
nant, should have been put first, to
be followed by the provisions for ref
erence to the council or to arbitra-
ton and the measures of enforcement.
We must read through eleven almost
administrative articles before we reach
the covenant which should naturally
have the place Of honor"