San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-13
LEAGUE SAVED" BY DISUSE

European friends of the League of
Nations have expressed qualification over
the reported acceptance by Italy and
Greece of the terms proposed by the
Council of Ambassadors for settlement
of the controversy which had threatened
to result in war between those two
countries-a war that might eventually
have involved almost the whole of
Europe. 1t would be uncharitable, per-
haps, to suspect that the qualification
of these people does not pertain to the
actual averting of war. But it seems
altogether fair to observe that in ex-
pressing it they have talked almost ex-
clusively on another topic-namely, the
Saving" of the League Council from
extreme embarrassment.
The Council of Ambassadors did fore
stall the logical conclusion toward which
the question of the League authority
and power was headed. There seemed
to be no doubt in any quarter CT the
globe that if the League insisted upon
performing, and actually tried to per-
form, the function assigned 20 it by
the articles of its creation, it would
consequently pass quickly from even
nominal existence. For that matter, even
the members of the League Council adj
mitted. in effect, the impotence of that
body as a willy-nilly peacemaker.
What is the status of the League,
now that its '"face" has been saved by
the Council of Ambassadors? The sheer
fact that the League studiously failed
to accept the chance which Fate had
thrown to it cannot but destroy its
prestige in the eyes of people who had
hoped that it would in time become an
actual power for peace. Just what eff
feet the turn of events may have upon
political opponents of the league-the
over-zea1ous advocates whose political
regulations were at stake-only time
NAV tell.
But whatever these people may say,
the world at large cannot forget the
vital fact that, for the most practical
purposes, the League was tried and
found wanting. The world at large will
remember long the principle represented
by Premier Poincare's comment upon
the success at the Council of Ambassa-
doris: That it had been made possible
by that body's direct representation Of
the parties to the controversy.
That is not precisely what the French
premier said; it is a liberal interpreta.
ton, but one that covers the principle
nevertheless. THE LIGHT had frequent
ly remarked that the member nations Of
the League manifestly regarded it a:
sort of agency apart from themselves
Its decisions were not theirs, but tht
decisions a body wholly foreign tc
ihem. The League, in this light, coulC
only propose; the member nations en-
gagged in controversy would dispose
Thus, in the end,y the Leagues effort
would represent just so much time lost
time, too, during which animositie
would be aggravated.
Contributing to such aggravation wa
the theory that the League had tn
power, or at least the authority, to max
its decisions mandatory. Now that til
League has failed to meet the final tes
what will be the future attitude Of mem
Der nations toward it when controversial
threatening war arise? Will they sub
NIT their disputes to it, on the shown!
it has made in the Graeco-Italian quar-
rel, under the assumption that it vii
serve merely in the capacity filled b