Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-04
CLAIM
Of LEAGUE ENEMIES
LOSES ITS APPEAL
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The JOurnal.)
l(,...,nr,.i..l.A


WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.-Although
friends of the League of Nations
feared at the beginning of the
Italian-Greek controversy that seri-
Gus damage would be done to the
prestige of the league unless it
compelled Italy to submit the dis
pute to the league, the sentiment
now has changed and advocates of
the league are pointing to what
happened as convincing proof that
the league is not the super-state its
opponents predicted it would be
when American membership was be-
ing debated in the senate.
The principal objection to the
league, in fact the argument effec-
lively used by Senators Hiram
Johnson and Borah and the irrecon-
cilable group was that the league
constituted a military alliance and
that it could compel America to
send her boys overseas to fight Eu-
ropean quarrels. The entire debate
centered upon the moral obligation
to render assistance If any Euro
pean countries W"re attacked. There
was no way by which the friends
of the league at the time could
answer the argument except by We
hement statements that the con-
trary was the case. Proof has been
lacking till the episode occurred
which caused Italy to seize Greek
territory. The fact that the con-
troversy was settled by the council
of ambassadors instead of the league
hasn't upset the friends of the lat
ter who simply say they never ar
rogated to themselves the exclusive
right to mediate between nations,
but merely offered the leagues ma
chinery in case all other means
failed.
Another Development
Another important development
in the last few days which has
strengthened the conviction of those
who believe the United States could
enter the league and still retain her
traditional freedom of action de-
Gliding to what extent she should in
tervene, if at ALL is the reception
given Canada's proposalS that Article
x of the covenant ne interpreted to
mean that each nations own gov
eminent shall be the exclusive judge
of the extent to which assistance
shall be rendered other members OF
the league. The resolution was ap
proved by all the members with one
exception, Persia, ana while this
for the time being prevents the reso-
luton from being officially spread on
the records it does show the almost
unanimous opinion of the world that
there is no moral or any other kind
of obligation in Article x to give
aid to a member state.
In order to give even more effect
to this view, the opinion of the per
manent court of international JUS
tice at The Hague has been asked,
and there is no doubt that it's de-
cision will be in line with the uni
Versal opinion of the covenant held
by the member nations. This will
answer the doubts of those in Amer
lea and Canada who have believed
the league might compel them some
day TO send troops abroad against
their legislative will.
The friends of the league are in
clined TO agree with some of the
statements of the opponents of the
project namely that the league is
weak. They admit its defects but
insist that the league is not a bit
stronger than world civilization and
obst1 uctive legislators will let it be
and that it can depend only on the
conscience of the world for it's fu-
ture accomplishments in the realm
of diplomacy though to be sure it's
humanitarian activities are - not
questioned
Italy Lost Prestige
In this connection the debate in
the league assembly in which the
course Italy adopted in the dispute
with Greece was thoroughly exposed
to the light of publicity is a novel
affair in European history Ameri-
cans are accustomed to influencing
their representatives in federal and
state legislatures by public opinion,
but until the league assembly was
formed there was no clearing house
of opinion in Europe. 1t is Signifi-
can't that some Italians privately adj
NIT that more damage has been done
to ltaly's prestige throughout the
world than was gained through the
triumph over Greece. The Italian
government, for instance, is making
strenuous efforts just now to win
back American opinion, and the
Italian ambassador, Prince Caetani,
has returned in the last few days
from Italy with a determination to
turn American opinion toward his
country. The almost unanimous de-
nunciation of Italy in the debates
of the league assembly at Geneva
may have had back of them only the
power of oratory and emotion and
not the guns and troops which the
so-called militaristic league was the
oretically to have furnished, but
these same words are exerting
moral influence throughout the en-
tire world that may make the next
nation pause before defying a tribu-
nal, to which she has pledged her
treaty signature.