The Washington times., 1921-02-16
BOOKS
NATIONS. Edited by Theodore Mar
burg and Horace E. Flsck. New
York: Macmillan.

NATlONS. Edited py lntouoie En"-
burg and Horace Z. Flsck. New
York: Macmillan
At the time this book was COM
piled. that Is. before the election
last November, the League Of Ma
tions was a very vital question.
Then, as now, William Howard Taft
was a foremost authority on the
League and its applications to the
United States and our relations 10
the nations of the world. In this
collection Of his papers on the sub
ject. his speeches are grouped in
order OF their delivery. Included.
also, is his correspondence on the
question. including that with the
White House on points involved
during the deadlock in the Senate.
Mr.. Taft makes the point in his
preface that the articles. speeches,
and editorials which make up the
book were written when the issue
was purely on the merits of the
League to Enforce Peace plan for a
League Of Nations, and that he has
nothing to recall in what he says
in them. But, he says, the present
issue over the League Is very diff
ferent from that when these papers
were written.
In very clear exposition Of the
substance of the book, Theodore
Marburg has singled out most or
the points upon which adversaries
of the League centered their at
tacks, and has met them with quo
tations from the writings OF Mr..
Taft. AS Mr.. Marburg says. the main
attack on the covenant of the
League was on the ground that the
League would interfere with our
sovereignty and with the Monroe
doctrine, and that the country lack
ed power, under it's Constitution, to
enter into such n treaty. These OBJ
Jections are met by Mr.. Taft ably
and at length. Sovereignty is shown
to be just so much liberty of action
on the part of the States as Is con-
sistent with their obligation under
international law and morality to
permit of the equal exercise of SOW
ereignty or liberty of action by their
sister States. The League covenant
secures all States in the exercise OF
this sovereignty. He says further
strengthened, not impaired, by the
covenant.
The "entangling alliance" objec-
tors are met by a whole series OF
facts. The detached position OF the
United States of Washington's day
is shown to have disappeared with
the spread of dominion and inter-
ests since then. 1t has been shown
that we cannot keep out of gem
eral world conflict and that we as
sumo less risk by taking on the
obligations of a membership in the
family of nations and throwing our
great influence in the scale for the
preservation of peace than III we
were TO play the role of onlooker
until drawn irresistibly into the
conflict.
Combating the views OF persons
who object to the element OF force
In the League program. Mr.. Taft
declares his respect for the motives
OF the advocates of non-resistance
but doubts whether nations are yet
proof against the temptations to
cupidity. cruelty, and injustice
manifested in men, and whether, on
that account, an international police
force is not as requisite as the
constabulary which protects the
innocent and just against the GRIM
inal and unjust" within the state.
Concluding his analysis, Mr.. Mar
burg says:
at goes without saying that tho
papers are replete with new
evidence of our honored EXPIRES
idcnts grasp OF the guiding legal
principles OF our Government, gath
cred on the bench and In executive
office, and OF tho attitude OF mind
which the best thought and feeling
OF the country heartily accepts as
true Americanism-"