Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-25

Wilson to Secretary Drummond was
very typical of that which has been
! termed his autocratic mood" and
was marked also by touch of irony.
Very tersely and veSy dryly he said
| that he had with the utmost care con-
sidered the arguments which had
been submitted. to him and had made
up his mind that the forthcoming as
sembly must take place in Geneva.
| To the arguments against this
meeting place he made no reply
whatsoever. He said nothing beyond
the mere announcement of his deci-
sion. Finally one of the prominent
general secretaries had another cable
gram sent to Washington in which
the Views previously stated were re-
iterated and the facts formerly ex-
planned were further expressed. But
the President apparently was as
unmoved by this as he had been by
| received at the London headquarters
of the league was the telegram sum-
moning the league to meet at Geneva
November Is.
+, This fact gains added interest be-
cause for months the President has
! regard to the league. He has not
communicated in any way with those
Europeans who acted as his partners
| in the framing of the peace treaty.
And the first time he raises his voice
with regard to the great enterprise
| is in the administration, of a rebuke
! TO the men who have been and are in
| charge of his .long cherished scheme.
Has Some. Sympathfzers.
Yet it cannot be said that the Presi-
dent is without sympathiZers on this
side. There are those here who quite
indorse his apparently firm resolve.
An active group is in existence here
syxy6 i1t1 fnr q lnr fvV1a hos hAa f-sx
ing to remove from London to Geneva
the Office of the secretary of the
league because it believes that as
things are, British Influences are un-
duly powerful in all league decisions
and plans.
But the persons who are to be
found among the membership of that
group cannot be said to be the real
believers in the covenant. Their aims
are rather of negative character and
principal among them is that of de-
priving British policy of an efficient
lever. 1t is very doubtful if they can
succeed in the accomplishment of that
task.
Faces Utter Collapse.
The league has been rejected. by
America and f1outed by Russia. Ger
many subscribes to it only in so far as
it supplies her with means of evading
the terms of the peace treaty. Bel
Sium admittedly is profoundly skep-
teal with regard to it's practical value,
since she frankly says that she looks
for securitytto the imminent conclu-
sion of a Franco Belgian military alli-
ance. Millerand. prime minister of
France. never mentions the league
and does not want to have anything
to do with it. Lloyd George in conf
Dental conversations at San Reno
did not spare his sarcasms with re-
gard to it. He uses it only as a peg
on which to hang such problems as
are embarrassing to him.
1t was in that capacity that it was
intrusted with the mission of sum-
moning the financial conference at
Brussels. which was the occasion of
new rebuke. as it was announced at
a late hour Friday night, without any
previous consultation whatsoever, that
the plans of the allied governments
have changed and its meeting had
better be postponed until September.
So as matters now stand the league
is confronted by the necessity, hu-
initiating though. it may be- of humbly
bowling to the wishes of the London
government or Immediately suffering
collapse.