New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02
No % Red Flag
In League, Says
+. Id. Roosevelt
Sentiment of All Nations
Declared Ample Check
on Bolshevik Tendency
Sees Lodge as a Convert
Rejection of Pact by U. S.
Would Break Heart of
the World, He Asserts

Discussing the question of a
World Covenant at luncheon given
by the League of Free Nations Asso-
citation at the Hotel Commodore YES
terday afternoon, Franklin D. Roose-
Welt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
who recently returned from Paris with
President Wilson, declared that any
league of nations which did not in
clude the United States was bound to
become q new form OF a European
holy Alliance"
Mr.. Roosevelt said the people of the
Allied nations never even in the most
critical periods of the war, had been
satisfied with merely "beating the
Hun" They wanted to be sure that
out of all the suffering and torture
would come the means by which future
wars would be made impossible.
Nobody could have told you what
the peace terms ought to be when the
armstce was signed he said "The
people there had used all their en-
ergies in prosecuting the war, and as
a matter of fact the people most in
volved did not know exactly what they
wanted themselves. 1t all requires a
deep study
Failure a Blow to World.
"But | would like to say that Presi-
dent Wilson said to me very recently
that unless this league goes through
in some form or other it will break
the heart of the world"
In defending the league of nations
plan, Mr. Roosevelt said it was but an
experiment and should not be crit
cised until it had been given thor
ough test
"The same arguments that have
been advanced against this league" he
continued, "were advanced against the
constitutional convention, and that
proved to be very satisfactory in the
end. Unless the United States comes
in this league will be new form Of
European alliance, but if we do come
in take it for granted the league will
not demand what the United States
does not want.
Earlier in his address, Mr. Roosevelt
said that while once a "big navy" ad-
vocate, he no longer was one When
the league of nations was proposed
last summer he was a bit skeptical,
thinking it bit illusory ana vague.
but he had swung around to the opin-
ion that 1t was possible and neces-
sary.
Knowing as they do, said Mr.. Roose-
welt, that the United States is the
most disinterested of all nations par
tlcipating in the peace conference,
the peoples Of Europe look to Amer
lea trustingly.
Predicts Lodge win Be Convert
Mr. Roosevelt said while some peo-
pie were playing politics over the
league, he was sure that in time SEN
ator Lodge, who. he was certain, was
honest in his objections, would
come over to the principle OF the
league, if not to the actual words.
Discussing the objection of inter
nationalism that has been directed
against the league, Mr.. Roosevelt said
it depended on what sort of inter-
nationalsm was meant. If it is
meant, he said, that the league Will
promote an decentralization that viii
prevent future wars, as the people of
the world are anxious to avoid, then
the league was an attempt at inter
nationalism. If, however. the inter
nationahsm of the red flag and the
black flag" was meant, he was sure
hundreds Of thousands Of supporters
could be found to stamp that kind out.
Professor J. G.. Macdonald then
read an analysis of the league Of
nations from special correspondent"
in Paris, whose name he said could not
be disclosed at this time. The cable
gram suggested:
"a most important point for the
American public to realize is that the
covenant is a mere draft for discus
sion and can be very greatly modified
If decisive public opinion is revealed.
Liberal opinion here is unanimous that
the point on which agitation should
centre IS the creation of a legislative
or representative assembly which will
provide for representation of the
peoples. Ample experience proves that
mere recommendations of body Of
that character soon come to have the
force Of law, yet national sovereignty
is not surrendered. Such amendment
to the covenant would involve reduc-
ing the size of the body Of delegates as
now proposed to one or, at most, two
for each state
Radical Drift Feared
"Unless some assembly representa-
tive of all parties is added European
radicals are certain the drift viii be
more and more toward international
Bolshevism.
"The experience of Russian border
states proves that during the period OF
world reconstruction, which is likely
10 last generation, any fact-finding
and reconciling body must include rep
resentati*es OF all parties
"f the league only represents gov
ernments and not opposition, it will
put a premium on revolution
"Opinion in Europe is probably ready
10 crystalline in favor Of abolition Of
conscription and armaments and Of
private manufacture and no transfer Of
munitions from one country TO another
without sanction Of the league.
Professor Ralph r. Rounds, Of the
Harvard Law School, gave technical
explanation Of the provisions of the
league, and Judge Learned Hand, Of
the United States District Court. pre-
Stbad