Omaha daily bee., 1920-08-13
Failure of President to Even
Mention Covenant in Note
To italian Government. Is
Cause of Discussion.
VISCOUNT GREY BITTER
TOWARD ALLIED POWERS
Condemns Great Britain fol
Entering Anglo-Persian Pact
Without Consulting Men,
berS of League.
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Beo Leased Wire.


Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, Aug. 12--Failure OF
the president even to mention tho
peace processes of the covenant in
his note to the Italian government
on the Polish crisis has raised the
question whether Mr.. Wilson re-
poses any faith in the ability of the
league of nations to stop the Russo
Polish and other wars now raging
in Europe and Asia.
Administration officials, supposed
to know the mind of the president
in this matter, decline to offer any
explanation of Mr.. Wilson's silence.
Among those outside the presidents
confidence some hold to the theory
that Mr.. Wilson, because of the
failure of the United States to join.
the league, feels a certain delicacy
in pointing the way to peace
through the processes SO meticu-
lously provided by the covenant.
On the other hand, it is suggested
tina, the president must ardently de-
sire the league to furnish an im-
pressive object lesson in the sue
cessful operation of the machinery
which he had guaranteed would sup
press and prevent wars. This has
led to the theory that Mr.. Wilson
has been informed of the reasons
for the failure of Great Britain,
France, Italy, Japan and the four
other nations composing the league
council to invoke the league proc
esses for the re-establishment OF
pence and that he regards those OBJ
stacles insuperable at this time.
Blame Big Powers.
1t has been charged that the big
powers prevented the league from
acting when Poland was waging
war successfully against Russia BIZ.
cause they desired the overthrow
Of the boisheviki. and when Poland
met reverses because public senti-
ment at home made impossible the
dispatch of any effective military
forces the league council might
requisition. In both cases the league
has failed to function in accord with
the covenant.
president Wilson's peace treaty.
said Senator Knox today, includes
provision for the maintenance of the
political and territorial integrity of
Poland. a land which is indeed in
sore distress at this time. But I
imagine that there would be great
ado in this country if we were to
follow the presidents advice to the
letter and send men and munitions
to that country now simply because
we are financially and physically the
strongest nation.
l. Undoubtedly the league OF ma
tions, as construed by foreign coun-
tries at least, is having fair test.
yet the newspapers of today can
answer the question whether it is
proving success"
Grey Condems British.
Viscount Grey, an ardent advocate
of the league of nations, blames the
European powers for their failure
to invoke its processes and COM
demns the British government for
having negotiated the Anglo-Persiai,
agreements without consulting the
league.
The policy of six months ago
was to do nothing except to sup-
port neighboring states against Rus
sia if they were attacked he said.
THAT was the moment when l think
the league OF nations might have
been useful.
They might have said to Poland
and the other free states on the
Russian border, and to the oolshe-'
visit government: Will you agree to
accept certain provisional bounda-
ries and will you agree that a COM
mission should be appointed by the
league of nations 20 inquire into the
matter and report on it,
1T may be said that that proposal
would not have been accepted. l do
not know whether it would have
been or not. But at any rate, an at
tempt would have been made to use
the league of nations and if the pro-
pcsal had been accepted, 1T The pres,
ent moment we would have peacd,
| in that nart of The world"