Evening star., 1920-06-27
LEAGUES DEATH SEEN
IF REPUBLICANS WIN
England, Alone, May Retain Covenant
Hopes, Siimonds Says, Discussing Pos
sible Republican Success.

On the other hand there were. not a
few Englishmen who did not think OF
looking upon the Anglo-American as
sociation with any selfish mind. but
regarded it as an instrument bound to
benefit both peoples equally and to
prove infinite value to the world in
general.
Only those who opposed the treaty
and they were minority-looked
upon the Presidents later reverses in
America with anything but disap-
pointment and even dismay, and it
may be recalled that again and again,
before the Senates decision became
final Lloyd George denounced DO
| litical events in America in language
which led to protest from the major
ity in the Senate
The French case was even more
unmistakab Britain had achieved
her major purposes in Paris and the
treaty of Versailles merely witnessed
her accession to the legal title OF
what she desired. But with France
all depended upon the application of
the treaty and upon the validation of
the treaty of insurance. which guar
anteed France against German attack
President Wilson had forced France
to make many concessions, which
were written into the treaty and had
| thus become absolute. but the recon-
| penSe for these concessions was con-
| ingent upon the Presidents success
before the Senate
| France. threfore. as a practical mat
| ter looked upon the Presidents fight
| as her own and the ultimate defeat of
! the President brought real dismay to
| the French 1t was a defeat for the
| portions of the treaty which were
vital to them. At one blow it de-
! prived them both of American and
British assurances of aid. if Germany
| attacked again, and it left the whole
| question of the enforcement of the
| treaty up to France.
| In Italy the Presidents defeat was
| welcomed without any reservations.
! On the whole. the same may be said
| of most of the smaller European
states. whose intense nationalism ex-
cited very bitter criticism from the
President and his American asso-
| ciates.
Lloyd Georges Future Policy.
| Now. what of the future? So far as
the British are concerned it may be
safely assumed that Lloyd George
will see in the decisions at Chicago
signs of new time which will call
for a new policy. Before election the
willy Welshman may preserve Ger
tain neutrality. but there is every
sign that he has been ready for some
months to tgo republican" with the
same enthusiasm that he went dem
| ocratic" less than two years ago.
President Wilson's league of nations
was not a thing which George ac-
d
merely as a question of policy. He
saw in it means of placating the
President. and thus enlisting him IN
other directions. If there is another
President, George, who has changed
parties so often at home, will have
no difficulty in changing sides away
from home.
In my judgment the events at Chi
cago will lead almost inevitably to
a total change of British policy with
- he 1oou M nafinnR-
Elihu Root will probably find him.
self in his present trip to Europe re-
ceived with something approaching
the respect and attention which
greeted the President less than two
years ago. The purposes to empha-
size The Hague and minimize Geneva,
that is to give more attention to ar
bitration and less to the league OF
nations, will not impossibly be re-
vealed even in advance of election
Still / do not believe the British
will ever totally abandon the league
of nations or the idea of an Anglo
American partnership
i Done With League.
The French, on the other hand, and
the Italians and the continentals
generally are done with the league
of nations. Unless President Wilson
should be renominated and reelected
II cannot conceive that his ideas will
have any more currency on the conti-
nent.
Italy never accepted the league, in
practice, never bowed to the Presi-
dents ideas. has pursued and Will
continue to pursue policies quite an
tagonistic to those advocated by the
President. Poland had disclosed her
attitude toward the league by the
war she is carrying on with Russia,
and both Russia and Germany are
outside the league and bound to stay
outside of it. because for both OF
them it represents an association Of
hostile nations.
In sum, except for the British. the
tChicago convention has, in my judg-
ment, sealed the death warrant of the
League of nations. Even for the Bri-
tish we must look for period OF
quiescence. before the idea of an
lAnglo-American association, which is
the root idea of the league with the
British, comes up again, but it will
come up again in some form and
never quite disappear from the
British mind henceforth. But today.
as the United States is unmistakably
retiring from Europe, Europe is not
less patiently quitting America.