Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-16

A Crisis in the League.
The Associated Press tells us that
the delegates attending the meeting
at Geneva of the League of Nations
Assembly are very modest in their
forecasts: that they say it cannot be
expected anything likely to make a
brilliant showing may be accom-
plished. Some of the special cor
respondents declare that the stoutest
friends Of the League admit that it is
undergoing a crisis,
The Al countries there represented
include but a minority of the worlds
white populations: indeed it is csti-
mated that 100000, 900 white people
are not represented. Conditions are
undoubtedly making for future CO.
hesion between the Russians and the
Germans; bol5hevisn has practically
occupied Armenia. The League has
done nothing in these emergencies,
did nothing when Poland was beset.
/ Yet all these problems are such that
the United States. were it member
of the League. might we'll hesitate to
become responsible for. questions
that should be settled by the powers
of the old world directly interested
and involved. Indeed settlement
through the applied force of an out
side power might properly be sus-
pected of being foredoomed to short
life. -.
Nor. is the United States directly
interested in the question of the ad-
mission of Germany. 1t is said two
thirds of the present League would
vote for admission but France threat
ems to withdraw in event that is
done. 1t may be well for all con-
cerned that these questions are to be
settled by those closely implicated
rather than through any interference
on our part. Nevertheless should this
be found impossible. should the
League be unequal to the task and
the result be return to the old
diplomacy. there will be many who
will feel that a great opportunity has
been lost.
More than a thousand individuals
are gathered at Geneva FROM the ends
of the earth. In some degree at least
they are representative of the peoples
from which they come. They cannot
avoid while there absorbing much in
formation respecting actual world
conditions. That information they
will take home with them and if at
all influential will impart some OF it.
Such an assembling as this for the
purpose of discussing the worlds af-
fairs cannot but contribute to that
enlightenment to which we look for
future deliverance from many of the
ills to which we now are subjected.
The old secret diplomacy has been
a menace. ever will be the tool of
those seeking to control peoples as the
lesser manipulation controls individ-
Gals. The only prospect of supplant-
ing this mischievous thing lies in
something akin to the League of Ma
tons. There has been sucl: a change
of sentiment respecting the old meth
DDS now in disrepute it has seemed
possible to take a step in advance.
One recalls that after the Franco
Prussian war the world applauded
the winner, although that war was
based on trickery and designed and
executed in the furtherance of a
scheme which later became directly
responsible for the great war. How
much applause would there be today
for a nation starting war on condi-
tons like those of 1870? Hasn't there
. been enlightenment respecting actual
world conditions: and hasn't selfish
ness been sufficiently enlightened to
permit it to cooperate along most of
the lines proposed by the League Cow
! enant? These questions will prob
. ably be answered by the results at
Geneva.