Evening star., 1921-03-31
Enthusiasm for League Countered
With Pertinent Questions.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Preliminary conversations between
the governments of France and the
United States conducted by former
Premier Viviani and President Hard
Undersecretary Fletcher led to the
conclusion that important develop
ments will result from the confer
ences.
The American government has TAX
en- advantage Of the opportunity to
say informally to former Premier
viviani exactly what it thinks of the
tons and the likelihood OF American
partnership. especially when that
league has thus far disregarded pro-
tests made by the United States on
matters vital to America.
In other words. former Premier VII
WANTS enthusiasm for the league has
been countered to some extent by per-
tinent questions concerning the
meaning of the recent refusal of the
league Of nations to heed Americas
protest concerning the japanese man.
date in the Island of Yap and other
mandates in the near east.
Learning U. 8. Standpoint.
Broadly speaking. former Premier
ViviAni has learned already some
fundamentals of American policy that
must be taken into consideration il
Europe expects American partnership.
One of these principles Is that the
United States must not be left in a
position less free in world diplomacy
than she had before 1914. Indeed, the
principle of the open door," which
means freedom Of commercial oppor-
tunity for American merchants, is
paramount, and the denial of that op-
portunity in the extension of man
dates has been seized upon by the
Harding administration as an argu-
ment against the kind Of league that
Is in existence at present in Europe.
The details Of just what kind of
association Of nations the Harding ad-
ministration prefers have not yet
been worked out. 1t is too early for
that Thus far the conversations have
merely covered general principles.
But the spokesmen of the United
States government have made it clear
that traditional American policy calls
for freedom of action all along the
line. 1t measn partnership with other
nations for the preservation of peace,
but no hard and fast rules REQUIRING
the use Of military force.
Wants to Use Own Judxment.
II military force be needed. the
United States wants to be in a posi-
tion to Judge for itself whether the
cause is just and whether it is a mat
ter in which the United States need
participate. The tendency is to let
European nations preserve peace in
European spheres of influence, where
as the United States will CORRESPOND
ingly look after such outbreaks in
this hemisphere as threaten the peace
and commerce Of the rest of the world
The continental idea is strongly i'm
planted in the mind of the new ad-
ministration.
1t rs a little early for the views Of
the Harding administration to become
crystalliZed on foreign policy and. in
a sense. former Premier Viviani's visit
is a trifie premature. Charles Evans
Hughes, Secretary Of State, has hardly
had chance to familiarize himself
with the documents In the case. It Is
one thing to read in the newspapers
what has been done by the United
States government in the last three OF
four years of negotiation with Europ<
and 1t Is quite another to study the
exact phraseology of American notes
and papers and arrive at conclusions
that can be used in carrying those
negotiations further.
Hughes to Negotiate.
Secretary Hughes incidentally will
carry on the principal conversat tion.
with former Premier Viviana and will
| advise President Harding Of the sta.
tus of each conference so that wher
| the distinguished Frenchman sees the
| President again he will have had Z
chance to learn the fundamental
from Secretary Hughes Mr. Hardins
himself is relying on Mr.. Hughes e
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