Evening star., 1935-10-06
GALL WARS.WORLD WARS"
SEEN AS LEAGUE CREED
Belief That U. S. Must Help Preserve
Peace Held to Be. Obscuring Factor
in Present Imperialistic Crisis.

to see their governments embark upon
a crusade which would result in the
destruction of the whole Fascist re-
gime in Italy. In France, moreover,
the present government is far more
subservient to Leftist pressure than Is
the Tory cabinet in Great Britain.
And this, again, Is just so much grlSt
for the British imperialists who are
actually directing British action.
If the United States were IN the
League, therefore, it would now be
subjected to every sort of pressure to
join in coercive operations against
Italy exerted by the paciflst and
League elements and inspired by Brit
ish influences here and abroad. On
the other hand, domestic peace would
be destroyed by the protests OF the
very large Italian element against
American action directed at the coun-
try of their origin. Thus this Anglo
Italian dispute would produce new
domestic uproar of hyphenates ike
that caused by the World War during
the period of American neutrality.
U. S. Avoids Mess.
The point which / am trying to
emphasize here is that the primary
consequence of the creation OF the
League of Nations has been-not 10
settle disputes and avoid aggressions-
but to make the quarrels between any
two nations the business of all and
substitute the prospect OF general wars
for that of mere duels between the
States directly concerned. BY staying
out of the League we nave avoided any
participation in the Ethiopian mess,
and if we stick to our present course
we shall keep out of the Franco-Ger-
man struggle which IS coming. Be
cause we did not mind our own buSi-
ness in the Manchurian affair. but in
tervened on the strength of the kel-
logg pact, we very nearly got into
private war with the Japanese-prl-
vate because the League states were
rnready to back us although they,
too. had. subscribed to the Kellogg
pact.
What makes it difficult to present
the whole present affair realistically
to an American audience is that 1t
has been totally transformed, and in
stead of being viewed for what 1t IS
namely, one more illustration OF the
way European countries carry Ont
is considered in terms of morality and
peace. And the transformation has
been the Joint work of the friends OF
the League in the United States and
the professions of high purpose set
forth in the press and public utter
ances of the British. The object OF
course is, on the one hand, to get us
into the League and. on the other,
to engage our support for British in
terests.
When, however. you consider that
as recent events have demonstrated
the League can only prevent war by
making it, or, at the very least, by
risking it, and, further, that League
war must in the nature of things be
a world war, and not an isolated
or localized conflict, then the impli-
cations for the United States of League
membership must be plain. We en-
listed in the war to end war with
QullS OUNlOuS 1CS0lbSs - w AAN' 80
list in the war to prevent war we
shall deserve what we get and-in
the language of the street-it promises
to be "a plenty" Personally, I believe
that there is only one kind OF peace
and that is the peaceful kind. and
reject every invitation, domestic or
foreign. idealistic or imperialistic, open
or secret, to let us in on the ground
floor in the war that Europe mas
steadily been preparing for the past
five years at least.
Facts Plain Now.
There is only one real danger OF
American involvement in future Euro
peans wars and that is that We shall
be led to see those wars not as they
really are, but as the bellgerents them
selves view them and seek to get
other peoples to see them. If you
look at the map you can understand
instantly why an Italian enterprise
in East Africa has precipitated an
Anglo-Italian crisis. If you ask your
self what difference it makes to the
United States whether England or
Italy holds Ethiopia, the answer Is
simple. But once the discussion Is
lifted to the higher plane of American
duty to the cause of world peace,
then what was clear becomes obscure
and Uncle Sam is again on his way
to acquire full share of other peoples
wars at his own expense.
If the people of the United States
keep their heads in the present crisis
1 believe we shall be well on the road
to successful neutrality in the next
war. But to keep our heads it will
be necessary to reject every effort
to explain that crisis as anything but
the preliminary clash between two
imperialisms, &he one mature and
satiated and the other young and
hungry. For that is what it Is, and
it has nothing in the world to do
with genuine peace and therefore does
not concern us in the slightest degree.
Copyright. 1880