Evening star., 1933-12-07
Leagues Within the League.

On what IS described as highest"
authority, the Associated Press reports
from Rome that diplomatic converse
tions have begun In the various
European capitals looking to sweeping
reform" Of the League Of Nations.
AS this news comedies with the meet
ing of the Fascist grand council, pre-
sided over by Premier Mussolini and
convened to discuss Italy's future at
titude toward the League, 1t is probable
that II Duce is taking the lead In the
effort to give the Geneva organization
new form. The Fascist council decided
that Italy would remain a member of
the League only on condition that it
is radically remodeled" Considering
the international body as at present
organized and conducted ineffective" +"
Signor Mussolini has openly threatened
to follow the example of Japan and
Germany and quit Geneva.
The reported reorganization arrange
ment calls for a series Of leagues
within the League by dividing the
world into three sections to be DOM
mated by the larger nations-(A)
Europe, to be Influenced by Great Brit
ain, France, Italy and Germany; OBJ
Asia, to be dominated by Russia and
Japan. and (C) the Americas, to be
within the sphere of the United States
Under this scheme, there would be
a complete separation between the
League and the treaty Of Versailles.
The Geneva covenant would be revised
so as to remove all provision for use
of military force and economic sane
tons" for punishment of aggressors.
The architects of these plans appear to
be proceeding on the theory that they
would suffice to make League member
ship attractive to the United States
and Russia, draw Japan and Germany
back to Geneva, and quash Italy's
threatened withdrawal.
One would have to make heavy
drafts on optimism to fancy that
reform" Of the League on the lines
suggested is realizable in the measur-
able future. The first objection that
projects itself Is the almost certain
opposition that could be expected from
several dozen smaller states which
Joined the League in the expectation
that it would prove for them a bull
wark against domination by more
powerful nations-a domination which
would be fastened upon them auto
matically by the arrangement to divide
the globe into three areas under big
power influence" On its face, the
enterprise savors Of the fantastic. It
would almost reduce to the ignominious
status Of vassals small nations
which have enjoyed for centuries an
independence which they do not dream
of surrendering.
The proposal to hand over "the
Americas" to the domination" Of the
United States comes at particularly
inopportlme moment. The twenty -one
American republics have Just come
together at Montevideo for the purpose
Of settling as well as they may q
variety Of purely inter-American prob
lens. The last thing the United States
covets is any form of Western Hemis-
phere influence" over "the Americas" I"
such as the reported League reform
scheme contemplates. Every policy of
this country is aimed ii the direction
Of unalloyed independence for all the
republics within the Pan-American
Union. The spirit Of solidarity on
which that ideal rests is far remote
from any such role as the League re-
formers would assign to the United
States.
II the European statesmen who are
dreaming Of series of leagues within
the League think the American people
would rise to such a bait, to allure us
toward Geneva, they are harboring q
grave delusion.