The Washington times., 1936-08-22
Edwin @. Hill

EenQSF OF LQe OarQdne1leS 10 me
Turks-has merely emphasized the
futility of those dreams in this
troubled and dangerous age. The
Treaty of Versailles is slashed, and
the slash is broken with it. There
can be, of course, no doubt of the
utter sincerity of Woodrow Wilson
when he joined with Lord Hugh
Cecil in laying the foundations of
an association which was to police
the world for the betterment of
humanity.
President Wilson was so heart
and soul for the principles under
lying the League that he closed his
eyes, willingly or unwillingly, to
the chicaneries and trickeries of
his associates. Those hard-boiled
old gentlemen, n OF ably Lloyd
George and Clenenceau, had little
enough conviction in this ideal of
world peace, to be preserved by
means of an international body.
WOULD KEEP LOOT
AS time passed, the League, In.
deed, accomplished much good.
It reduced the traffic in opium.
1t took measures for the control
of disease. It pronounced emphati-
cally against human slavery every
where. It spoke out for the rights
of children. Occasionally, it was
able to snuff out impending minor
wars, but invariably, when it came
up against the ambitions and ag-
gresSions of any powerful preda-
tory nation, it failed in the action
which the world expected.
When MusSolini bombarded
Corfu and exacted heavy tribute
from Greece, it did nothing. When
Japan seized Manchukuo and
marched on through shattered
North China, it spoke wordS-fu-
tile words. When Hitler violated
his solemn covenants, it made
helpless, Intellectual gestures
When Italy struck at Ethiopia, it
held session after session, issuing
warnings, appeals and threats, but
still no action.
Even the British, Staunchest de-
tenders of the League, have thrown
up their hands.
Putting it bluntly, the British,
with the French, had relied on the
League as the instrument to assist
them in retaining the loot which
came to them from the great war.
They had the support of all. or
nearly all, of the smaller nations
which were carved out Of former
empires as a result of the great
war and German defeat.
But failure after failure has
weakened the confidence of every
League supporter and reduced
many to the point Of despair. Even
before MusSolini'S invasion Of
Ethiopia, it was clear that the
League could not restrain any
powerful nation from pursuing its
own nationaliStic ambitions.
WISDOM PROVED
It forbade Mussolini to proceed
with his war in Africa. 1t threat
ened him with the direSt conse-
quenceS if he sent his armies
toward the Ethiopian capital, Ad-
dis Ababa. It promised Succor and
help to the Ethiopian Emperor.
Halle SelasSie. But Mussolini.
openly contemptuouS Of all ap-
pealS and threats. boldly defying
the British navy in the Mediterra-
mean, went on his own imperial
way.
We have the spectacle Of the
Dark Emperor a fugitive, driven
from his capital and his country.
We have the spectacle of his CAPT.
tai. looted and in flames: of for
eigners slain by his own Infatuated
tribesmen. Never in the world has
there been a more pathetic out
come of all the Six-month period
Of oratory and conferences and
warnings which the League di-
rected to II Duce and his people.
MuSSolini has won. He is in sub
stantial possession of the vast ter
ritory of Africa, much of which
is valuable. There is no more
Ethiopia for the League to defend.
One can only be thankful that
our United States escaped in
Movement in League affairs in
the whole mess of international
rivalries and ambitions. The
men who fought the League so
hard back in 1919 and 1920
William E. Borah, Hiram John
son and the late Henry Cabot
Lodge-had no quarrel with the
ideal upon which the League was
founded. But they were states
men, students all of foreign af-
fairs, and they knew their
Europe.
They SenSed the impracticability
Of any combination which de-
manded sacrifices from its mem
bers in the interests of world
peace. They fought successfully
against our entrance into the
League, and for the specific rea'
son that they were convinced that
eventually. as member, we
would have become too involved.
We kept out of it, and well out Of
it, and time has proved the Wis
dom Of that course.
Downright, 1885 by King Features