New-York tribune., 1919-01-25
Which Kind of League?

MI. LlOyu LeOrSe Will SCaCe certain gen
eral proposals for league of nations
upon which an agreement has been
reached. How definitely these general
propositions will fix the outline of the
league to be perfected remains to be
seen. Predictions are idle. But we think
1t most important to comprehend in ad-
vance the two types of league which
may ultimately evolve. There are count
less variations of detail. There are but
two fundamental conceptions, antitheti-
cal in origin, in outline and in scope.
The first type of league is already in
existence. There is a league of nations
sitting to-day in Paris, legislating, judg-
ing, enforcing. 1t is the natural out
growth of great natural forces which
produced a community of interest and
a mutual comprehension among certain
great nations and their lesser allies, ex-
ceeding any league of the past in power
in high purpose, in friendship. This ex-
isting league can be extended in scope,
made permanent and organized in detail.
The principles of justice and right for
which its members fought can be grad
ually formulated in a new bill of rights
for the world, not struck from any one
mans brain, but product of joint wis
dom. All this would require time. Haste
would be made slowly. For the present,
surely, the decisions Of the league would
be made by those nations which had the
power to enforce them. The future
peace of the world would depend pri-
marily not upon any new machinery but
upon a new solidarity of sentiment
among these great civilized nations of
the world, born of joint suffering and
sacrifice and growing naturally with the
years.
The second kind of league would not
be the outgrowth of any existing organ
ism 1t would not be patterned on any
institution that the world has ever seen.
1t would be, under one name or another,
superstate, a joint government of the
world in which all peoples of the world
would share. 1t would undertake moth
ing less than the government of the
world. Il would include not only na-
tons in accord upon the basic prin-
ciples Of justice established by the war
but nations opposed TO them or indiffer-
ent to them. 1t might be ingeniously
planned and equipped with the most
elaborate machinery, legislature, courts,
a joint executive and a joint army and
navy. But it would be only machine.
Conceivably miracle might happen:
the whole world might get international
religion and the breath of life be breathed
into this fabrication. The machine might
work On the other hand, it might far
more probably manufacture discord and
collapse into another world war. A babel
OF tongues is bad enough, but babel
OF contradictory aims and moral stand
ards is worse. Could there be real unity
OF purpose or principle in such a struct-
ure! Would it not be wholly artificial
union, born of hope, not experience?
The question of how far and in what
precise 1ashlon the nations shall develop
either project now is Of small impor
lance IN comparison with the choice of
type, OF method. In league with our
natural allies, jointly controlled with
tnern, America could afford to pool far
more of her International rights than in
any world state. We know our all;es
through bitter trial. We trust Thorn vro
maintain with them the peace Of tho
world we would stand ready to mako
great sacrifices. We do not know ard
no man can know, what forces Of the
world what majority Of cunning and
piracy, might gain control of a snner-
state If we trusted our national safety
70 its decisions in the present state of
world morals we should he enter;r,.
jungle unarmed
Names are small things Whether an
organization called league Of nationsn
is born at Paris is a minor sene cow,
pared to the necessity that whatever in.
stitution il created shall be a living or
ganisnn and not thing of formulas and
theory and artificial union. OF the lat
Ter type was the beautiful Hague palace
with its contents. Gould machinery bave
prevented war there was plenty there
provided. 1t il now proposed by some
70 ouiid more machinery Of new and
elaborate type. That is the issue. Shall
we trust to new machine 80 vast as to
imperil every one sharing in its use or
shall we trust to the worlds existing