El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-10-28
League OF Nations
And Foreign Policy
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK


The Overseas Notebook contains
great variety OF material. including war
observations and travel narrative IN El-
rope, and general mentary. IL is IN
tended 10 publish portion % the "Notes'
daily during several months. Publication
began October Is, 1890.
During 6hs period covered by the notes
here reprinted the writer was in Germany
with the American army Of occupation
sources OF Information OF the outside
world were necessarily meaEer-
The Notes make no pretence A. being
a discussion q the league OF nations or Of
the treaty. They may have no value
whatever but II they do possess any value
10 is perhaps as much BY reason or tAe
dates they bear, as anything else. Iney
may have some significance IS indicating
how one mind was being made up during
the progress Of the dlscusalons ana ne
conference. IN clrcuulstances trae rom
the effects Of American political discus
sion and the partisan atmosphere IN
me .,yote7H on the subject are re-
printed without change or comment. the
dates being given Excerpts from the
Notes" viii Be given here day ry day
2 Mar. 1919-How hard . Is for
two families TO inhabit the same
house. vet we talk Of a league Of ma
tons Peoples. racIally similar teno
TO autaEonism. suspicion, an dlsrup-
lion. vide South America and Central
America. Spain and Portugal ROLAND
and Belgium, Denmark ana germany.
and the numerous states OF centrai
Europe. what holds the United
states together what holds me
British empire together only selI-
interest. a calculated exchange OF
ure5udfces for economic advantages
Economic advantage is the only thing
that viii hold the league together-
Sentiment win tend 70 disrupt SELF
interest must be fed, and trade pro-
Mar, 1s19-Within the league OF
nations viii form groups with simi-
lar economic aims and CONDITIONS
What win be the effect OF the one
vote-to-a-member rule when one con-
siders all OF England'B colonies, and
the little nations Of south and Central
America and central Europe-
3 Mar, 1919-The leagues present
constitution viii not work In a crisis.
except through the physical force OF
the great powers The United states
virtually abdicates all its means OF
defence, except moral suasiou-
"a Mar, 191e-Here Is report OF
Convention OF soldiers I overheard
both were sergeants and men Of in
teIligence beyond the AVERAGE
Q-Ars you a Republican.
A-Not on your life.
o-Then you must be for the league
A-You bet your life. first, last, and
o2Havs you read the draft OF the
league covenant in the papersf
Al have not
Dust what do you know about
the league Of nations2
Al don't profess to know any
thing about 30. and 10 tell the truth
mighty few know anything about e
except Just a few that have been do
inE the capital work on IT.
The same old story-not moments
thought hadn't even read the draft
but was @for &c" because some men
he considered wise were promoting
t. OF such are many members Of po-
litical parties, various churches, and
most OF the rest Of the world
(Note added at a later date; Com
uare LLOYD George who boasted in
speech that he "put the treaty
through the house Of commons In one
night" though the document contains
about 10000 words and would take
anybody three OF four days Of steady
reading even TO run through It with
any degree OF comprehension-)
April $3.50 what use are
world commercial policy and a great
merchant marine II Bryan's view Is
to prevail that the right az our ma
tionals 70 the protection Of our nag
stops at our bOruerst
April 1919-One important omission
in the league Of nations scheme Is
. with reference to police work In
partly developed countries for the
benefit Of nationals Of other coun-
tries as well as their own.
April 191e-The right, everywhere
and always. must arm itself 10 de-
fend the right. Not everybody iG hop
ing for a martyrs death, figuratively
OF literally.
April 1919-Latin-Americ acknowl-
edges France as her "intelelctual and
soul mother her culture source and
teacher. and looks TO France for lead
ership in thought, art education.
] literature-not in anything 20 the
! United States. Germany need not
worry about our power over Latin
America We have no foothold there,
except some commerce based solely on
the self interest Of those countries
and on economic laws. The United
] States has no gift Of tying those pso-
pies to herself. Az for the Monroe
i doctrine. IL needs modification and
I Limitation to our own needs and de-
sires-
April 1s1s-llr. Fixit and the Italy
/ Jugoslavia controversy. Why should
we mix in2 ANY settlement whatever
/ would be a source Of irritation for a
long time.
april 1919-Surprlsed at the almost
unanimous acceptance Of the league
I OF nations and the ready complacence
with which Americas cherished prin-
/ ciples and policies are now abandoned.
(Further excerpts from the notes
viii appear tomorrow.