Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-14
FOREIGN BLASTS ON TREATY
TACTICS ARE BADLY KEYED
II Is the Cause Of World Amity, Not
Merely That Of European Rescue,
Which Demands Our Entrance
Into the LEAGUE


! covenant. 1t now appears that Euro
| peans have been similarly remiss, or else
! have chosen to disregard the plain intent
/ Of that overdebated document.
! From across the sea bitter words are
/ flung at this nation for its failure to
ratify the treaty of Versailles. They are
uttered with u view to prodding the
! United States Senate to take Affirmative
| action on the peace pact, and as spurs to
a greatly to he desired performance these
! acrid tones have been applauded by some
| Of our sincere but highly solf-critical citi-
zens.
Support of this variety carries idealism
pretty far. 1t would Of course, be fully
! justified if Europe, by her diatribes,
meant precisely what we mean. But does
she? That is the uncomfortable ques-
tion raised by her present attitude.
The query, regarded apart from parti-
san bias, raises serious doubts as to
whether in some influential quarters
abroad the original design of the league
is not misconceived, either jngenuously or
with deliberate purpose.
Abuse of America for not hustling the
treaty through is perhaps natural. If the
shoe were on the other foot and we had
signed up and were waiting for Jurope's
approval, it is unlikely that our obser-
vations would be uniformly kindly.
Granted, however, that nations collec-
lively are 'temperamental," just as the
ordinary human individual is, there yet
remains the disturbing possibility that
elements in the foreign press and some
of the foreign public figures are not
| arguing their case in the wisost way.
| "Savc Europe!" is the burden of. their
| cries. We are berated for neglecting
! continent, to the rescue Of which we
( already contributed largely, and are at
once GROSSLY and eagerly Informed that by
| ratifying the treaty we will become the
| instrument of Europe's salvation.
As evidence of the folly of outside in
reference in the domestic affairs Of
nation. such objurgations lamentably fill
| the bill. Borah and the treaty-WTeckers
| may be conceived as chuckling content
| edly when Europe overaccents the note
| of selfishness.
! Readers Of the league coyenant--those
! distressingly rare inhabitants Of a world
! which so imperatively needs the constitu
! tion of amity--are aware that Europe is
| pleading a good cause in a bad fashion
| They know that the league does not com
| pei America to be merely the tool of the
war-wrung continent, nor does it warrant
support merely because America is
strong enough and rich enough to haul
her late allies out of bad mess.
The covenant is not a collection of
articles of alliance. I: binds the whole
world to a code evolved TO limit the pos
! sbilities of war.
Until the governments of Europe are
brought to a realization Of that fact
overseas denunciation of our course will
only supply capital for fanatical "bat-
! talions of DEATH" venomous narrow poll
ticans and senatorial trickSters chiefly
! desirous of piling obloquy upon their op-
| ponents.
The clumsiness with which America
has approached the treaty problem is not
to be condoned. We have been diatory
and perverse. But in our own American
way, the way that is often so pulling to
foreigners, there can be little doubt that
we are nearing solution
In this connection it is cheering to note
that the influential Journal des DeJdts Of
! Paris has feeling that altogether too
many stones have been thrown from the
other side of the ocean.
1t is not the place of Europe to chas
tise either our Republicans or our Demo-
Gratis. They are our own affair. We have
rebuked them and eXtolled them inter
| changeably for good many years during
! which they have not driven the nation to
| disaster. We know something Of their
relations to each other and Of their joint
responsibilities to the public
/ France, as whole, is about as i'm
! perfectly acquainted with these condi-
! tions as this country is with the nature
| Of the rights" and "left7' in the
/ Chamber of Deputies. The light which
! the Journal des Debdts has seen is whole
somcly respectful of national integrity
an asset which the league, when rightly
construed, unhesitatingIy preserves.
Unfortunately the tendency to inter.
I pret it otherwise has been growing in
Europe Tory newspapers, such as the
| lToruiug Post Of London and the Echo de
/ Paris scoffed at the covenant when it was
originally devised The pact froWned on
armaments. on the old Imperialism, on
the old diplomacy. All this was worm
wood to the miItarists and the cowork-
ers in the brotherhood of financial
cXploters.
But the absence of the United States
from the official formation Of the league
has for the moment changed its charac-
ter in their myopic eyes. The Echo de
Paris is now not 50 grevously offended
by the international society. since its dis
tinguishjng cpithet is no longer entirely
accurate
What has been called by Mr.. Wilson to
meet on Friday is chiefly a league Of
European nations, and as such it is re-
garded by that journal as subordinate
to the military council Of Versailles.
which, though reduced to "consultory
powers" contains the seeds of an out
and-out military alliance. Foch still heads
il. and the Echo frankly hopes that it will