Evening star., 1922-01-11
LEAGUE2YiE::AI!IiR||'S|;i Yi::AI!IiR| | ! OLD 0 J
Mr.. WILSON SILENT
Permits Ami
versary of His Idea to Pass
/ Without Comment.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


in the self-imposed seclusion of his
private citizenship did the man who
had most to do with its creation cele-
brate the birthday yesterday. Wood
row Wilson, admittedly the parent of
the league of nations. which now en-
braces fifty-one nations, did not IN
terrupt his silence to point out that
the league which had been declared
dead" SO many times was indeed
alive and functioning:, Nor did he lift
his voice to contend that while
America had not yet Joined the league,
there was no associatiSf of nations in
the league.
Nor are there any spokesmen for
the Wilson .yieYpoint arguing the
case one way or another. The demo-
Gratis who followed Wilson when he
was in office are not the same. Most
of them have drifted from the Wilson
standard and taken it for granted
that the league is a dead affair so far
as the United States is concerned.
Only small group cling to the no.
ton that the league has nine lives
and can't be killed. and that the major
issue of the 1924 presidential cam
pafgn will be the league of nations
again.
In the recent speech of Cerdell Hull
newly elected chairman of the demo-
cratic national committee. is seen the
germ of the Wilson. doctrine as it
may be applied to future compaigns-
an argument that the present business
depression IS due directly to the fall,
ure of the United States to Join with
the other powers in the preservation
of the peace of the world. .particu-
larly Europe. Mr.; Hulrs plea Tor
economic cooperation and his state
ment that worldwide economic
conference Is essential. is but the
correllary to the democratic argument
that the lack of economic co-opera-
tiop in the last two years is RESPONSE
BILE for present conditions.
democrats Are Silent.
But Mr.. Hulrs ideas are by no
means shared by his party in Con.
gress. 1t isn't that he is opposed. It
is simply that the democrats have no
pronounced policy on foreign affairs
and that when President Harding
shrewdly took under his wing for
the armament conference the demo-
cratic leader in the Senate-OScar
Cnderwood-he left his political op-
ponents to founder.
On the other hand, if the demo-
Gratis are divided and have no objec-'
tive. the republicans have awakened
to their new responsibilities in for
here who believe the armament con-
ference, the sending of Ambassador
Harvey to the supr ,me council meet
ings, the dispatch of observers to the
financial conferences on international
exchange, and the. proba BILE. partici-
patton OF the United States in the
economic conference, called for next
March in Genoa, are all straws which
show the wind as blowing in the
direction, OF league of nations or
association OF nations, as the case
may be.
No account of what has happened
since the league Of nations came into
existence wouldabe accurate without
a statement Of the gradually changing
spirit of the Harding administration
toward the league of nations itself.
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes are as determined as ever
not to commit the United States to
membership in the leagtte as at pres
ent constituted, but in more ways
than one they have sshown an atti-
tility. They have fndigna ntly denied
tnat Am, RIA would in any way try
to undermine the. league Of nations.
Mrs Harding has gone so far as to
say that the league is a.good thing
:, ''-r-> - nd should abide No
i uer.u impertinent. Ofh-
cials recognize the league, as going
concern with specific object This
doesn't mean, as some observers have
hoped that the United States Is ready
to submit for the approval of the
league cartain ssItreaties, which are
agreed upon at the Washington con-
ference. and which must obviously be
made worldwide in their application
to be effective. 1t does mean that the
United States viii continue to deal
m,n saRue the Of ssa9a a.'ni hdipaas in tns
countries.
This viii not preyeat Great Britain
or France or any OF the powers which
have attended the Washington con-
ference from using the machinery of
the league Of nations to hasten the
adoption generally of those treaties
signed at Washington.
The prospects are that Arthur
James Balfour of Great Britain, who
has always been a prominent figure
in the meetings of the council of the
league of nations, will report to the
league of nations at the next oppor-
tunity. and will endearor to sperpetu
ate a friendly relationship betwee
special conferences Of small nun
here and the larger body, which in
cludes the whole world, with the ex
ception Of the United States, Germany
and Russia
The belief prevails among many
Of the foreign delegates here for thf
arms conference that within a year
both Russia and Germany will be ad-
mitted to the league. o. nations. and
that Ireland also will take her place
in the league assembly along with
Zealand and India.
Copyright. 1927