The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-13
PRESS ON BOX PEACE PLAN

SNESS ON bOk PEACE ELAN
 Although certain senate irreooncil- ablss have denounced the Box award as proof that the committee of judges was packed in favor of the League of Nations, those at the opposite extreme perceive that 1t falls short of their own desires. This wide divergence of view in reality proves that tho plan receiving the unanimous vote of the judges occupies a middle ground which mollifies league opponents on the one hand while on the other giving league adherents the hope of eventual United States entry into the league. There fore, :the plan Is acceptable to a greater majority than any other yet offered. The plan for elimination of the famous Article X and the related Article XVI will dis appoint the extreme Wilson wing, for it b still well recalled that President Wilson was unmovably com mitted to Article X, regarding 1t as one of the fundamentals of the cove nant.
 The press has commented volumi- nously on the award, with the ma- jority of editors looking upon 1t with favor. Thus the New, York Times '1t Is hard to believe that many would cast vote against the substance of the plan. Its general principles are such as to command almost universal assent. If timid or prejudiced per. son objects to approving these prin- ciples, because that might imply ap. proval of the League of Nations, he ought to see that this is no good req. son for not voting at all, and slso that he should take second look at the League of Nations, so as to find out if its fundamental aims are not those in which he has always believed" !" Likewise the New York World: "The World believes earnestly that it would enable the United States to exert its greatest moral influence for the main. tenance and increase of peace. The plan provides for cooperation, for mutual consent for conference, moral Judgment, full publicity, and it relies on the power of public opinion. These are the methods of peace, and the plan accepts these methods" Ger tainly no newspaper can consistently reject that feature of the plan which calls for the moulding of public opin- ion through publicity, for that is the basis of the press appeal to its public on all questions discussed by 1t.
 In the view of ethe Chattanooea Times, the plan Contains the germs, at least, of universal agreement, and gives a definite and rational view of our obligations as nation in the acute emergency. An affirmative verdict on the plan will, at least. warn con- gress that the people are not only thinking of international peace, but that they are earnestly, passionately and eagerly desiring it." While the Columbia, South Carolina, State begs leave to suspend it's judgment on this particular plan, 1t thinks 1t "weIl to take a good look at this as well as at every promising project that may be offered" The Louisville Courier Journal, while standing to it's ad> vocacy of the league covenant as now composed, realizes that a compromise was necessary in order to win adher- ents, but expresses the belief that "clearly the Box prize-winner would have submitted the Nourier-Journaps plan if he had not been impressed with the expediency of attempting to over come the prejudices of the senate reservationists." The Courier-Journal might have added. also, that the com mittee might have chosen plan more closely incorporating the present league covenant, had it not been for the same considerations. Otherwise. the present winner would not have been the winner. This view is in- dorsed by the Chicago Daily News: |: "The author evidently hoped to avoid contention, rather than to revive it."
 According to the Tampa Tribune, the plan may never be adopted, but it at least establishes that the best thought of the country is against aloofness and isolation and recoe- nlzes the need and the practicability of a world organization for peace. and that the only possible organiza- ton to that end is the League of Ma tions." From the same section of the country the Times Union of Jack sonvIlle is disposed to take issue with the conclusion that the only possible path to cooperation is through some form of agreement with the League of Nations, and says: "This would undoubtedly be true if the United States were seeking admission to the League of Nations, but such is not the case. The fact is that the League of Nations is seeking the cooperation of the United States. That places the shoe on the other foot" So, also, Senator Borah thinks; but the league Idea originated with Americans. and It's ready acceptance by other nations