New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05

! ~ fighting capacity of the
Poles the world has emerged
from one more of the historic crises
when Western civilization was at
stake. We know now that had the
Bolsheviki been as successful as
seemed inevitable q few weeks ago
Poland would have been left to
!, perish in despair, and Great Britain
+. and Italy, at least, would have
made peace with Lenine and
Trotzky, while the United States
, would have confined it's opposition
; to the Reds to verbal castigations
and pious expressions Of hope.
AS for France, in sending thou
sand officers to Poland and war
material in considerable quantities,
she actually did all that she could
do under any circumstances, given
her commitments on the Rhine and
in Syria and Morocco.
Lisale Nations Warned
= Under the test of war the League
OF Nations broke down completely.
!. Addressing the Polish, Rumanian
and Jugo-Slav delegations at Paris
two years ago, Mr.. Wilson informed
.. them that they must bow to the de-
;cisions of the big Four" In the
matter of guarantees covering
3 minorities, because the great powers
: willed it, and the great powers had
"a right to impose their will in this
matter Of principle, not alone be-
acause they had done the most to
win the victory, but even more be-
cause they would have to mako the
Largest contribution to maintain the
settlement Of Versailles.
Speaking on that occasion to M.
.Bratiano. the Rumanian Premier,
directly. Mr.. Wilson asserted that
tif the frontiers laid down at Yer
;sailles were assailed, then the United
States would make it's fleets and
sarmies to pass the seas and defend
the assailed nation, provided only
shat this nation accepted the pro-
svisions of the treaty. Such was
sMr. Wilson's conception of the mu-
-tual relations among the nations
making up the League of Nations
when he was in Paris, and this
American promise made by him
was one Of the most potent in
3auences in persuading various ma
lions to accept unpalatable terms.
E; But in the case of Poland it is
demonstrated exactly how much the
promised protection amounts to.
The truth is too plain to make it OBJ
'scure again by personal or partisan
interpretations. The fundamental
weakness in the League Of Nations
concept is the failure to reckon with
the majorities in the nations making
up the league. No matter what the
obligations contained in a formal
document, no national government
can move without the support Of it's
citizens. Least Of all can it move in
a matter Of such supreme impor-
lance as the making Of war.
liz Wilson Had Acted ="
Suppose Mr.. Wilson, believing the
American nation bound in honor by
his course in Paris, despite the fail
ture of the Senate to accept the
treaty, had sought to declare war
upon Russia. He could only have
contributed to this end by calling
Congress and making a recommen-
dalton, since the power to declare
war rests absolutely with the legis-
,lative branch. But suppose he had
done this, what would have been the
result?
There is no doubt. Congress
would have refused to declare war.
The mass Of the American people
would have supported Congress and
opposed the President. There did
not exist and there does not exist
sufficient appreciation Of the issues
of the Bolshevist war TO supply the
public support for war against the
Russian Reds. Men and women are
not prepared to send their children
and their relatives to war 10 save
Poland, however general may be the
sympathy with Poland and however
widespread the adherence Of Boil
shevism.
The situation in Great Britain was
only different in degree. The British
nation had ratified the Treaty Of
Versailles and thereby accepted the
League Of Nations circumstance.
Poland was a member of the league,
and thus entitled TO British assist
ance. But what could Lloyd George
do? To insist upon performance un-
der the league was to precipitate
domestic crisis. Something disagree
ably close to rebellion was threat
ened by the British labor element,