The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-04
Lord Robert Cecil and the League.


Lord Robert Cecil and the League.
Lord ROBERT CECIL, telling us that
nothing that Is worth doing in this
world can be done without sacrifice"
deplores the possibility Of something
happening after the Peace Conference
ito mar tho glorious record Of Amer
lea in the war" He says:
IT see IL suggested in some places
that the United States should not ac-
cept membership in the League OF
Nations because 1t might involve some
sacrifice OF national sovereignty. 1t
would be foolish to deny that II ma
tions are to make any organization
for peace each OF them must be con-
tent TO modify to some degree, how
ever sligh4.=its liberty OF action. That
is the Inevitable result OF cooperation
and do not wish to underrate the
sacrifice involved"
If Lord ROBERT CECIL were IN
American would he call It slight
sacrifice for the American people to
surrender their sovereignty to the die
tation Of foreign races and tribal ma
lions thousands of miles away2 Or
would he call 1t supreme, a de-
mented, a fatal sacrifice?
Or, to put 1t another way: LORD
ROBERT CECIL Is an Englishman. Sup
pose the American people set up
claim to special rights and powers
In the League because their popula-
ton was 100000. chiefly whites,
as against the 95,OOO,OO0 population
of the United Kingdom and as against
perhaps no more than 5O,OOO.0O pop
ulation Of the United Kingdom and Its
colonies and dependencies Of the
same blood.
Suppose the American people set
up a claim to special rights and pow
ers in the League because their ma
tional wealth before they went into
the war was s25O,0OO, 100000, as
against, perhaps, $4,000, 100000 of
the United Kingdom and perhaps
Sis, OOO, OOO, 900 or 1925, 900, 10000 of
the British Empire.
Suppose the American people, be-
cause Of all they had at stake and all
they owed to their overseas posses
sions and dependencies and wards
the Philippines in the Far East, the
Hawaiian Islands less distant in the
Pacific, Porto Rico and Cuba In the
West Indies-demanded that the
United States should have In the
League Of Nations a representation
and a voting power Ave times the
representation and the voting power
Of the British Empire, or, II you
please, only FIVE times the represen-
tation and the voting power OF the
United Kingdom. Suppose, In short,
the American people insisted that they
should be the masters Of the League.
Well, then, would Lord RoBERr CECIL,
the Englishman, talk so light heart
eddy about the sacrifice-the slight
sacrifice-which the United States re-
CURED his nation and his countrymen
to make? Would Lord RoBEEr Cecil,
the glishman, indorse the Ameri-
can claim because "after all, nothing
that is worth doing can be done with
out sacrifice? Would Lord ROBERT
CECIL, the Englishman, urge his peo-
pie to grant the American claim on
the ground that all It involved was
the sacrifice OF their national sover.
eighty? Would Lord ROBERT CECIL
the Englishman. deplore the posi-
bilIty Of Britons marring their glori-
Gus record in the war merely to pre-
serve their national integrity, their
political institutions, their welfare
and safety?
Would Lord ROBERT CECIL, the Eng,
lishman, accept such a proposal from
the American people1 Would Lord
RoBERr CEcn, the Englishman, listen
to it7 Would Lord ROBERT Cecil, the
Englishman. give any other answer
than the truth, that the Britons would
shed the last drop Of blood in their
veins before they would ever permit
such a thing to come to pass?
Then when Lord ROBERT CEcn, the
Englishman, makes such a proposal
to the American people It is as plain
as daylight that their only answer
should be-pray COP 1t will bel
the same to him as his answer would
be to them.