El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-10-27
League OF Nations
And Foreign Policy
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK


The Overseas Notebook" contains a
great variety o. material. including var
Observations and travel narrative IN Eu-
rope. aud general commentary. Il is IN
tended 20 publish q portion Of the '-Notes'
daily during several months. Publication
began October IS 1890.
During the period covered BY the notes
here reprinted the writer was IN Germany
with tire American army o. occupation
Sources OF information Of the outside
world were necessarily mesgcr-
The Notes make no pretence at being
a discussion Of the league Of nations or Of
the treaty. They may have no value
whatever; but u they do possess any value
It IS perhaps az much BY reason Of the
dates they bear, as anything else. They
may have 1oma Eiguificalce - indicating
how one mind was being male Up, during
The progress Of the discussions and the
the effects Of American political discus
sion and The partisan atmosphere In
me Notes" On the subject are re-
printed without change or comment. the
dates being given. Excerpts from the
Notes" wiz be given here day by day.
Is Feb, -91s-Too high expectations
from the ending Of the war are
meeting disappointment increasing
Iy-Ieague Of nations included I do not
see how so vast number Of highly
Thoughtful men could have deceived
themselves so completely. Look for q
long period Of Intense strain and
costly readJustment- Everybody Is
ready 70 sacrifice everything In which
he has no interest.
19 Feb, 1a19-It is senseless to set
up a lot OF small nations and offer to
guarantee them against Interference
unless the league also declares ita
right and its duty TO police small ma
One trouble with the league OF ma
tons draft Is that It states no prin-
ciplesl Il Is a scheme and not an or
gauism. What effect might such .
pact have had upon our own civil
war; Proposed voting system IS
wrong Generally speaking. the great
powers either should assert them
selves and frankly and openly adopt
a hands on" policy instead OF
hands Off policy, or else they should
avoid the issue Of force altogether
and colfiue themselves 20 counsel ana
measures short Of war
20 Feb. 1919-The Monroe doctrine
in itself, has no virtue or value 10 en-
title lt 20 religious worship; we need
not make a fetish o. T. Adherence 70
&c Is justified insofar as we know u
Is inherently good for the United
States; that is the only practical test
We need not hesitate 10 scrap IL part
ly OF wholly IL to do so would serve
the right ends OF our own national
welfare and progress but certainty
we should not be quick 20 sacrillcs
il or any other established American
policy unless We see some advantage
In so doing.
20 Feb, ls19-1Iajorities have often
and persisteutlg been wrong An
armed majority may be menace
An armed majority Of powers might
H.H ia
existence OF the United states. We
know we are not going 20 abuse our
great power. Why should we submit
TO disarmament IN the present unset
tied state Of the world?
20 Feb, 1e19-1u the United states
or in ordinary civil life there Is al
ways a superior force Of disinrerasted
putauts-in The league Of nations
there is no such thing as there are
and can be no disinterested parties
The natural laws Of struggle and
competition cannot be repealed BY
proclamation There s. fundamental
injustice in the present distribution
of the earth's surface which the
league proposes that we guarantee
Why should we sign contract %
fight 20 perpetuate fundamental IN
30 FEB. 1s1s-What IS tie ultimate
purpose Of national lie anyhow
believe the United States can best
serve the world now and hereafter b.
conserving intact its national power
The progress OF the world has been
served throughout the ages by compe-
tltion among peoples and nations.
20 Feb, 1g1e-When We know we
are right why should we ever submit
TO wrong. even though other powers
should decree our submission3
object TO the league as formed, OBJ
fect on principle which believe fun
damentaI in the American national
ideals. u would be bad for the United
States now, and especially ia future
Recall the Argenriuo's dlctum,
"America has a right 20 peace which
must be defended I Ike that last
word.
20 Feb. 191s-To form a council Of
the nations IS all right, but in the
proposed league covenant tie effect
i've features are unWise when thc
are not abortiTe. Even Latin-Amerlca
can out-rote Us and probably out
argue US on any question that co-tes
up. The balance Of power VIII au-
tomatically establish itself within the
league and we shall find that we
have there. friends who VIII expect
our aid, and enemies whom we must
guard against
IL IS IKE a man putting his busi-
ness into the hands Of his direct COM
petitors and expecting them 20 be fair
and just with him in their trustee
ship.
March 1871 do not believe the
league OF nations was a necessary
prelude 70 peace or should have taken
1 n n