Evening star., 1922-10-08
LEAGUE IS SUCCESS
WITHOUT i. S. AID
Ffty-one Nations Declared
to Have Made Idea Reality
After Three Years.
NO OTHER LEAGUE LIKELY
Americans, Hostile or Friendly,
Urged to Consider What Has
Been. Accomplished.
NO OTHER LEAGUE LIKELY
BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
By Cable to The star and Chicago Daily News.

bh EDGAH ANSEL NOV HEH.
By Cable to The star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright, 1922.
GENEVA, October 4-Fifty-one ma
tions have in three years taken hold Of
the great idea Of a worldwide associa-
tion, which has always obsessed far
sighted dreamers. and made it a living
reality without the aid of the great
American nation. The league exists. 1t
works; it takes up problems of many
kinds and usually solves them. Ameri-
cans. skepsic, hostile or friendly. are
therefore asked today to consider not
what the league might be, but what the
league is, regardless of their opinion.
Success has brought confidence, and
the same members Of the league who
two years ago considered American par
tlclpation essential and who a year ago
still dared to hope that President Hard
ingS promises of an association of ma
tions might materialize and eventually,
amalgamate with the league have now
ceased to place their hope on the United
States. They refer frequently with re-
spect and occasionally with bitterness
to the United States, but they have
come to realize. first. that some sort Of
league Is absolutely necessary, and,
second. that there is no practical possi-
blity of any league but this league
They have slearned through experience
that they can get along without the
United States. and though they still ex-
tend welcoming hands, this has become
a formal gesture merely, for they un-
derstand how firmly the leagues oppo-
nents in the United States are in
trenched. and it is not expected that
the American republic will join.
Secretary Hughes Smiles.
What Is perplexing to the members
of the league is the fact that al
though in certain ways they do not
the United States needs them, the
American government continues to
abstain from any thoroughgoing CO.
operation with the only organization
which is realizing many traditional
American polices and embodying the
To be sure. the American govern
ment has finally condescended to
favor the league with an occasional
friendly glance. Secretary Hughes.
unable to shake off such persistent
suitor. has finally mustered faint
smile.
The leagues first timid notes were
unanswered: then followed curt ac-
acknowledgements; then formal refusals
and finally courtesy. The State De-
partment at length has recognized
certain of the league activities, and
evidence within the United States
which the permanent court of inter-
national justice may require. 1t has
even made capital out OF the leagues
supervisory power over the execution
of the mandates. and has concluded
treaty including the entire text of
the Japanese mandate over the
Islands in the northern Pacific ocean.
Americas Formula.
Somewhat laboriously the Amer
lean government has evolved a for
mula by which the American public
health authorities can cooperate in
the worldwide work of standardiz-
ing the various forms of antitoxic
serum and has furnished certain sta
tistical information. Such courtesy,
however, is not always uniform. The
appeal to aid in regulating the traffic
in arms received tardy reply. The
appeal to appoint commissioner to
aid in fighting the white slave traffic
remains unanswered. The most
serious league invitation, issued a
year ago. submitting a plan by which
the United States might sit at the
permanent court OF international
Justice without joining the league or
expenses. has been entombed quietly
in the State Department archives
without being communicated to the
Senate.
private American opinion and
private initiative have in many cases
outrun Secretary Hughes. The
Rockefeller Foundation has placed
money at the leagues disposal to
spend in certain directions beneficial
to the whole world. The American
league in appreciation of it's work
In fighting typhus In Poland. The
American Relief Administration made
overtures and a money offer to the
league for cooperation in relieving
the Russian refugees in Constan-
tinople.
Such facts seem sufficiently notable.
Equally SO is the impartiality Of the
league in asking for the assistance
of individual Americans. John Bas-
sett Moore has accepted a judgeship
in the permanent court of interna-
tional justice; John Ellery Hale, the
famous astronomer, has served on the
committee for intellectual co-opera-
tion: Mrs. Hamilton Wright has visit
ed the league assembly twice as an
in the fight on opium: josephine
Baker, an eminent health authority,
takes part in the work of the
leagues health committee; DR.. Rupert
Blue, assistant surgeon general, is
cooperating in standardiztng anti
the International labor Office and the
leagues permanent secretariat, as
well as on various commissions
temporarily.
Wishes Called Similar.
The wish of virtually all Americans
who have examined the leagues ac-
tivities, including David Jayne Hill,
one Of the leagues foremost oppo-
nent.. today comedies with the wish
of the league members. These Amer
leans would wish the United States
Immediately to assume the position
of a nonresident associate of the
league. AS ali associate the Amer
lean government would be entirely
unpledged, free to cooperate only
where it saw fit and be perfectly un-
hampered in judging which Of the
league activities corresponded with
it's own9national aims, ambitions, de-
sires and ideals.
It cannot be denied that many, per-
haps a majority. Of the league ac-
tivities do embody the American
spirit. The league Is doing work the
United States does not desire to ham,
per or ignore. The league offers the
United States the wholly preferen-
tial position Of being in the league or
out of it at will. Such a position
harmonizes with it's war tradition
and with the views of President Hard
ing, who in a campaign speech de-
clared that he would take and COM
bine all that Is good and exclude all
that is bad" from court and league.
It takes the league question from