The Washington herald., 1920-11-28
The Leagues Assembly to Date.

lhe LeaEues Assembly to Date.
THE assembly of the league has made
history during the first week OF its
existence. Sooner than was expect
ed, it got its Organization perfected, its
various commissions named and its own
self-respect established Already its relative
candor in contrast with the councils de-
iberately planned selective publicity-and
that of dwarfed type-has been educa-
tonal The council now is modifying its
position, having noted the approval of the
. public opinion of the world shown for the
assembiys more democratic theory of con-
dnct
Equally prompt has been the show
within the assembly of disposition to
speak frankly about the league councils
mistakes and defects, and also of like lin
iations In the supreme council of the allies
Moreover, the dominions have not hesitated
to differ with Great Britain, the small
powers among the neutrals have registered
their disapprobation of the great nations
assumptions of right to shape all policies
and courses of action, and Latin-America,
as It The Hague Conference, has not been
at all hesitant about airing opinions con-
trary to European and North American in
tcntions.
Debate of the plan to make reservations
and rcvisions of the leagues covenant
has gone far enough to show that there is
much favoring opinion; but Great Britain
IN a formal way has blocked any sort of
action of this sort until it at least is known
! inst how far the United States is to go in
supporting this demand for reservations
F. If the public of the West, through Con-
gress and an asserting President, the
United States decides that it will not share
m any revision or ask for any reservations,
then the league still will have the important
problem of framing or not framing reserva-
tons to make; but in the light of a very
disturbing fact Since the attitude of the
United States cannot be defined at all until
after March next, it is clear that this ses-
more quickly solved problems, which it is
proceeding to do
One of these is a decision as to dis
armament. and another includes joint ra-
tioning of the available food supplies of the
world Reduction of governmental high
cost of Irving can be hastened in no more
effective way than by diverting from man
ufacture OF weapons, munitions and all the
zppurtenxnces of war the huge sums that
now go toward equipping and maintaining
huge armies and navies. France in Europe,
the United States in America, and Japan in
Asia, at present are the chief blockers of
the proposed plan. Only one of the three
= Is at all equippd financially to proceed with
ITS military expansion program; and that
nation happens to be the country that in
the past has oftenest preached peace be-
tween nations as creed Inasmuch as that
nseion is not IN the league, it escapes dehn-
ing lis real program
On the fssse of joint international con-
trci Of food supplies and = rationinx
program devised to enable rich nation to
give aid 10 the poor one, neither of the
Americas show signs of assent Canadians
and Latin-Americans have formally indi-
ozted their disapproval. The United States
undoubtedly also would If it could. The
-hsves" win volunteer aid of an altruistic
sort, and do it on lavish scale if neces-
sary. But as for asserting to formal
compact, m which foreigners determine the
movement of edible products out of coun-
tries having surplus crops, and decide how
mneh wheat the United States, or Canada,
or Argentina wiIly-nilly shall export to
Europe, most of the nations now in the
league decline the proposition. Their
statesmen at home and their spokesmen at
Geneva will agree with the Canadian rep
resentative, Mr.. Rowell, in saying that the
league must not interfere in such domestic
questions.
In agreeing to send an international po-
lice force to Wilma to ensure peace while
the plebiseite is going on, the league has
saken its FIRST step IN cooperative action of
. positive sort. A second of the same kind,
though involving much more serious conse-
quences, has been the recent joint call of
both the council and the assembly for a
power willing to take the Armenian man
-iste and to act as the leagues representative
in saving the entity of state beset behind
and before by foes of savage kind.