The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-04


The League That Was to Ne and
the League That Yet May ne.
We hope to make clear the distinc-
ZION between ~ league Of nations"
and the particular league Of nations
which President WILSON has been en-
deavoring SINCE January 8 Of 1918 to
organize and effectuate as his own
original, personal conception and as
the individual contribution Of his
statesmanship to the future peace of
the world.
So persistently Elusive is the power
Of a phrase or term of words, when
Il has once acquired in the public
Imagination n special meaning, that
only recently, by the compelling evi.
dence Of actualities and by the nearly
unanimous testimony of those who
know what has been going on and
what Is now going on in the Peace
Conference in Paris, has there been a
widespread recognition here OF the
vital difference OF which we speak.
Americans almost without excep-
ton desire that the peace of the world
shall be assured As far as possible,
BY every practical means. Americans
almost without exception are ready
to join by treaty in any concerted at.
tempt to safeguard peace and pre-
serve for the world Its inestimable
blessings; that is to say, providing
always the result promises to be at
tanned without the sacrifice by this
republic Of things more precious to
MS than even peace itself, the princi-
pies on which American independence
was established by force Of arms and
the policies by the steadfast msinte-
nance Of which the nation has come to
be what It is to-day.
The effort to promote belief in the
contrary Is essentially dislngenuous
The effort to represent Senators or
newspapers or private citizens as en-
emies Of world peace or hostile to any
league Of nations for peace because
they oppose a particular scheme of
national ENHANCEMENT 80 labelled but
Objectionable to their ideas of the
nations duty is about as dishonest
az anything recently visible under the
broad dome Of blue.
Associations or partnerships for the
purpose Of diminishing the probable
ity Of war, or Of mitigating the hor-
rors of war. are scattered all through
the pages Of history. 1t is unneces-
sary to go into the record. The most
recent example Of such an associa ton
or partnership or league in which the
United States has been concerned ia
the system Of engagements into which
our Government entered when It's dip
lomatic representatives signed and
its Senate ratified the first and the
second series Of conventions adopted
at The Hague. The Hague scheme
of twelve years ago constituted what
was in fact league Of nations and
high were the hopes entertained OF
It by the earnest friends of peace
throughout the civilized world. The
United States, In declaring its par
ticipation in those endeavOrs and In
those hopes. did in fact enter league
OF nations out IL limited Its respOn.
sibllities and safeguarded its sover.
eighty by the express reservation at,
tached to the conventions by the vote
OF two-thirds or more of the Senator.
ratifying the treaties:
Nothing contained in this ccnvon-
Zion shah be 80 construed as TO re-
suire the United States OF America
10 depart from its traditional policy
OF not fntrudins upon. interfering
with or entanxilng itself In the po-
iitical questions Of policy or internal
administration OF any foreign state.
nor shall anything contained In the
ssid convention b construed TO Inn
:. n. =. Z