The Washington herald., 1919-05-18
President Has So Entwined League Pact with
Territorial and Economic Terms That
Senate Cannot Reject Article Ten With
out Wrecking Whole Settlement.

formal. defensive ally OF France
against Germany, the whole world
will know on what terms and to
what extent.
The President will explain his
reasons in public. and, IL the Sem
ate debates the matter in executive
session-well. everybody knows just
how secret such debates are.
Formal Agreement.
4 But the formal agreement with
France proposed in the Presidents
letter Is really unnecessary, IL the
league Of nations agreements be
taken seriously.
It is just because France, fearing
rs always the menace across the
! frontier. does not take them alto
gether at their face value, that she
asked and obtained from Wilson and
Lloyd George separate distinct
pledges for help.
What does the United States give,
to what extent are our hands tied
ty promises, made in the actual
treaty of peace. a treaty that the
Senate cannot refuse to fatity what
ever may be the fate of TIE separate
undertaking to France?
We meke one astounding conces-
! sion. In our splendid isolation, pro-
tected by mighty seas and a pow
erful fleet. having less to fear from,
6ggress.ofi than any other country,
We never theless guaranta. the ter
rftorial integrity of every member
OF the 1esgue of nations against at
tack.
We practically promis. - 20 to
war to maintain the boundaries of
Runania if that country is attacked
ty PoIand. We are as mu n rom-
mitted to this particular war, chosen
, at random, as Britain, France and
Prussia were by the treaty Of 1899
to maintain the neutrality Of Bel
gium.
And not in this hypothetical Polish
Rumanian war only are We bound to
Intervention. but in any one Of fifteen
otner wars that may arise in the Bal
kanized welter of small states that
makes the new map of Europe look
like a revival of the eighteenth CEN
tury.
For instance. the smouldering dis
pute between Jugo-Slavia and Italy
may burst into flame in one year,
three years. five years. And. however,
their boundary lines may be drawn in
the treaty. We promise in Article x
OF the league of nations agreement to
attack whichever nation sets forth to
change its frontiers by the sword.
This Article x in the league char
ter seems to be by far the most i'm
portant single item in the treaty of
peace. 1t is really the keystone of
. the whole edifice. And II Is America
who makes the great sacrifice on the
altar of idealism in ratifying article
ten.
Every other power has a great deal
| to gain by it. Even mighty Britain
is not averse to having her Indian
frontier guaranteed against aggression.
America alone stands in no need of
outside help under any circumstances
to maintain her boundaries or her
possessions. Wilson. think. when he
| agreed to Article x went further
than any statesman has gone in world
history towards making material sac
rifice for the sake Of an ideal end
world peace.
Justihes sacriAce.
| And the sacrifice may be justified
and may attain its end. For II there
is any thought that can prevent some
OF the smaller European nations from
flying at the throats of their neighbors.
it will be the apprehension that such
course may bring down upon them
the resources and power of the Unit
ed States.
! But what haunted me in Paris and
still worries me here, regarding Article
x. is the wonder whether the kmeri-
can people really yet understand that
the President is going to ask the Sem
ate for a ratification. which the Sem
ate cannot now well refuse, to a
promise to fight Czecho-Slovakia il
that country sets out next year to
grab some of those Teschen coal fields
that were awarded to her competitor
next door
And, IL the Americans don't under
stand it. what will they think of It
when they do?
President Wilson has fathered the
league of nations. and now only the
Senate stands between this country
and our adherence to a purely inter-
national arrangement which might in
volve US in conflicts all over the seven
seas.
The aim Is the noblest ever sought
y hu'' oedtcSidLi, anu tne HarVel
is that the lead should have been
taken by the country that had least to
gain by the abolition through such a
covenant of the old order of secret
diplomacies and wars.
Apart from our adhesion to the
principles Of the league, it is now
| evident that we do not propose to
continue our military commitments
on the Continent
1t Is no secret that when France