Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-09
LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
Continued from page !

"rhe precise way in which some mod
iiications can be best made must DO
determined at the time IN conference
with the other parties. u II impossi-
BILE TO forecast the methods because
conditions next March are necessarily
uncertain Now the central idea IL tiiat
the deadlock resulted from President
Wilson's perversc refusal to negotiate
for the consent Of other powers to Amer
icanzation of the treaty, but that our
new administration will secure that con-
sent
"A separate declaration OF peace was
justified only by President Wilson re-,
fusa to net After March 4 that VIII
no longer be justihable, unless other
powers refuse to consent TO moditiea-
tion, which | do not anticipate. Don p,
allow Cox 10 drive YOU off the ground
of Harding's Senate vote and our plat
form. Keep to the simple issue Ameri-
canlzation
These views Of Mr. Root show that
he believed that "scrappng the league
would bring disaster TO all the world lie
would retain the structure of the covenant,
modifying it to meet the requirements oi
the Senate reservations and the Chicago
platform and probably IN some other re-.
spects.
There seems TO be no doubt, Judging
| bv the message that he is opposed to the
| negotiations of "a new arrangement De-
| tween the nations Of the world Ia IN
| sure permanent peace. To some extent,
/ according to the message, he ia IN haf-
monv with views expressed by senator
! Harding as to the method to be pursued
10 obtain an association for preventing
1 future wars. He agrees with senator
! Harding that here should be confer
cnce with other nations to determine
upon concerted action lie also agrees
that il is impossible at this time 10 de-
fine the course TO bc taken by the con
ference
At the time Senator Harding was
made acquainted with the contents ot
MIR Root cablrgram there were state
ments in dispatches from Marion TINT
he had received message from Mr
Root concerning the League OF Nations
II has been reported since then tha'
Senator Harding was provoked over thf
views Of Mr.. Root and even showed some
anger
II thero was any feeling on Senator
Hardinq's part against Mr. Root 4 ha'
probably disappearcd for there IS rell
able information that he will ask Mr.
Root to enter his cabinet rs Secretary
Of state
In MIR Root s message there is refer
encc to letter he wrote to thalrmnf
Hnvs in March 1919 In that letter Mr
Root explained why the present perman
ont court Of arbitration at the Hague ha
been virtually failure
"Therc was a weakness IN the svsfen
devised 10y the Hague conference. h
said 70 MIR Haya 1T was that arili
tration of lustciahIc questions was no
made obligatory 80 that no nation coul'
bring another before the court unles
the defendant was willing to come. an
there was no way 20 enforce IudR
ment
Mr. Root declared his belief that ques
tiors that were strictly "Justlclable 9
judicial" should bc subjected 70 obliEator
ADJUDICATION This IS IN accord with
proyislon of the league covenant Whll
he admitted that some difficulties wer
apparent with regard to questions oi po
icv. he seemed 10 lndorse the plan cor
tanned IN the league covenant OF maxim
international conferences upon politics
questions compulsory IN tunes OF dange
and practically impossible for any natio
to keep out Of them He praised tn
scheme. although indicating what
regarded as some defects.
Mr.. Root was a member OF the con
mittee Of jurists selected by the couf
Gil Of the league TO draw up plan fo
the new world court While he was abroa
a story was circulated that he had de
vised new plan for an internationi
association to take the place OF the Leagu
Of Nations. but the cable message g
pressing his views shows that he believe
that the league formed in Paris. was
the process OF functlonlng and could rt
be abandoned
Members Of the Senate, who haN
returned to Washington since election
seem 10 be generally Of the opinion tn;
il will be impossible to obtain the ratlf
cation Of the Versailles treaty With Il
league covenant even with the Lods
reservations or any other.
Some Senators think that II the Unite
States Is to enter an association OF II!
tions il will be necessary to revise Il
covenant 50 as to provide that the leag'
, shall be based upon a tribunal establish'
: AZ the Hague stead of upon action take
bv body Ike the League Council.