Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-19
The United States IN the Role
of a League of Nations

N it's insistence that Panama relinquish
strip of territory which under arbi-
tration has been awarded to Costa Rlca,
the State Department at Washington is
playing single-handed the part of league
of nations. That is to say, it is protecting
manifest right and maintaining a highly i'm
portant principle against unreasonable ag-
erosion. The decision of the impartial judges
to whom the dispute between the Central
American republics was submitted is gener-
ally accepted as just save by government
clique in Panama, and even that minority
Is bound by every rule of law and good
craftsmanship to respect the arbitrament;
instead, however, it has taken the attitude
of holding willy-nilly to it's claims, after
losing them in court. If such course were
countenanced, there would be no guarantee
and scant hope of justice and peace in Cen
trail America, nor would arbitration
method of settling differences between ma
tions in this hemisphere long retain it's vir-
tue.
The situation was one in which the United
States was morally compelled to intervene
All that this Government has stood for in
matters international was challenged; all
that it hopes for in the way of fair dealing
was involved. Rather cynically a Western
newspaper remarks: cit is safe to say that
not soul in this country, unless some one
concerned with concession, cares a rap
whether Panama or Costa RIGA gets the
strip of land" That point of view is I'M
American and immoral. 1t is like saying one
does not care whether courts of justice are
maintained or demolished, whether promises
are kept repudiated, whether law and
justice or banditry and anarchy shall pre-
vail Disputes there are from which the jul
dicious necessarily hold aloof. but when the
issue is Enthusiastically one of respecting or
flouting the essentials of international right,
then neutrality becomes impossible for
minds that divide truth from error.
In the present case the United States was
all the more bound to exert it's influence
because of it's special relation to Panama
The establishment Of that republic was made
possible some seventeen years ago by an act
OF the Washington Government, which not
only encouraged (some, indeed, say instigat-
ed the revolution and recognized the new
isthmian regime, but also undertook to guar
antee Panama's territorial integrity. Thus if
Panama were now on the defensive and
Costa Rica the aggressor, the United States
would be constrained to intervene in behalf
OF the former. But inasmuch as the sole war
rant for intervention in any case is duty,
unavoidable duty, to the larger interests of
peace and justice, our Government needs
must warn Panama when she is in the
wrong just as decidedly as it would pro-
tect her in the right. Elsewise there would
be no reasonableness no righteousness, no
merit whatsoever in our peculiar relation
ships to the isthmian government.
1t was in these exigencies and upon these
principles that Secretary Hughes issued,
first an admonition and then an utimatum
to the Panama authorities who refused to
abide by arbitration. There is no show of
tyrannous strength in that policy, but sim
n 70 4f &c s1rl.E j
the carrying out of the common conscience
of the Americas. So it is that the United
States here performs an important function
OF a league of nations; no more or less
would have been required, had our Govern
ment been party to the covenant of YER
sailles.