Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-04-02
LANSING FIIAYS LEAGUE in HIS
PARIS DIARY,

Washington. ,Marah.-Robert Ian.
''ing, former Secretary Of Suite, until
dismissed by President Wilson for
calling meetings of the cabinet when
his chief was physically unable to do
So, has given his honest opinion Of
The peace treaty and league OF na
tons covenant as recorded in his
diary IN Paris and just published. He
says
The terms of peace were .yester.
day delivered to the Gcrm"n rl"niuo
tentarics and for the first time in
thesa days Of fcwcr:sll rush of prcpar
alton there Is time TO consider the
treaty as n complete document.
The Impression made by 1t is one
o. disappointment Of cnnr.l All OF
depression. The terms or peace. up
pear UNNECESSARILY harsh and humili
m.ing whilt' many OF them so>m to
me impossible of performance.
The league OF nations creatd by
tho treaty = relied upon to preserve
the artificial structure VIII ich has
ben erected by compromi sc OF the con
flicting interests of the Great Powers
and TO prevent the termination OF
III" seeds of war which are sown in
80 many articles and which under
normal conditions would soon bear
fru't. The League might as well at.
tempt to prevent the growth of plant
lie in Il tropical jungle. Wars will
come sooner or later.
1t must be admitted in honesty
tli,ft the league Is an instrumentality
oi The mighty TO check the normal
growth Of national power and nation
al aspirations among those who have
been rendered impotent by defeat lCx
amino the treaty and you will find
peophs delivered again't their will
into The hands OF tho&e whom they
hate, while their economic resources
are torn from them and giwn TO
others. Resentment and hittcrncts. #
not desperation. arc bound to be the
c)naeQuni2S Of iucn Provisions. IL
may Bo years before these oppressed
y opiGS arc able 20 throw off the yoke
nut rs sure as day follows night the
Inc will come when they will make
tho effort
rms war was fought by tho United
States to destroy forever the condi.
tons which produced it. Those con
d'tions have not been DESTROYED
lhey have been Supplantcd by other
conditions equally productive OF ha-
'rca. Jealousy and suspicion. In place
OF the Triple Alliance and he En-
tcntc ha' arisen the Quintuplc All.
ance which is to rule the world. The
Nctors In this war intend to imposo
the'r combined will upon the vanou
lshed and to subordinate all intereste
TO their own.
1t 10 true that to please the aroused
public opinion Of mankind ana 10 re.
spond to the idealism of the moralist
tify nave surrounded the now alliance
WIN a halo and called 1t rho league
OF nasions, but whatever It may he
CARED or however 1t may be DISCUS
ca. 1t is an alliance of the Five Great
Military Powers.
MS stay here. The Debs case as T
Vt Is useless to close our eycs to the
TACT TINT the power to compel ohedi
shce by the exercise of tho united
strength of the five is the fundament
al principle Of the league. Justice Ia
secondary. Might Is primary.
The league ns now constituted vii,
NE the prey of greed Il and in,ripue:
ana the law OF .unanimity Of the coun
CO. which may offer q restraint, WILL
DE broken or render the organization
powerless. 1t is called upon to stamp
AS Just what is unjust.
we have treaty of peace, Tut i,
"lfl not bring permanent peace ba
ranc 1t IS founded upon the shifting
sands of sclf-.interest.
The obnoxious things in the treaty
were rue to secret diplomacy. The Pres
,aent should have stuck rigidIy 40
ms principles. which he has not !"