Evening star., 1939-07-09
United Stotes May
Be League Home
By Frederic J. Hdskin.

ever has had the World War President
has no monument at the National Capt.
tai There is possibility, far from re-
mote, that the next two or three years
will see at Washington a greater and
move impressive memorial than any Of
the usual, conventional sort which might
be devised. 1t would be the headquar-
tiers Of the League of Nations, the inter-
national organization for which he was
largely responsible.
For some time here has been a grow
ing feeling that the League must move
its headquarters from Geneva, where 1t
has been seated since its first organiza-
ton under the terms of the Treaty Of
Versailles. Already consideration is be-
ing given to the suggestion that Wash
lngton, the capital of the Western
World, should become its next location.
When the League of Nations first was
set up, Switzerland was the most natural
selection for its headquarters. The Hell
Vetlan republic had been traditionally a
neutral for centuries. Geneva was
known throughout the world as a meet
ing ground for international debates.
The great religionists of the Reforma-
ton found refuge there. Although it
was backed by the great tradition of
William Tell and Arnold Won Winkelreid,
military heroes of the paladin type yet
the Alpine domain had maintained an
unshaken neutrality and peace amid the
fires OF European dissension. AS tho
League stood pre-eminently for peace,
ln tic rNlo IL 1.I.-
the inevitable seat.
There was no dissent from the pro-
posal to make the headquarters of the
League Geneva. At first the ofices of
the secretariat were housed in the Hotel
National and other buildings but quite
early in its history plans were drawn for
the erection of the Palace of the League.
The organization is supported by con-
tributlons from its members, but, in
addition to the appropriation made for
that fund, John D. Rockefeller jr. gave
$1,000 900 for the addition of a library.
1t was not until 1928 that the work OH
the palace was begun.
The great building has been finished
for some years now and is one Of the
finest government structures in the
world. It's hundreds of offices are richly
appointed and its halls of assembly are
gorgeous with murals, tapestries and such
other decorations as the man of mind
could suggest. 1t is, indeed, a palace.
But the conviction has been growing
that all this plant, which cost nearly
sl0,OOO000 must be abandoned. The
reason is that the Leagues host Switzer-
land, has become restless because of its
overwhelming guest The fact is that
the League is under tentative notice to
move. This is so serious that the secre-
tary of the League, M. Avenol has drawn
up plans for an evacuation, although. as
yet, he does not know where he is going
to move
The state OF affairs may be laid rathet
directly at the door of Hitler. The Ger
man chancellor has shown that he has
no respect whatever for tradition (except
German traditionD and it is felt that he
would feel little hesitation about moving
against Switzerland. in spite of her ira
ditlonal neutrality, in the same manner
that he moved against Austria and
Czecho-S -Slovakia. There are 5000 900
individuals of German descent. who
speak the German language, in Switzer-
land. 1t Is said that he looks at them
with the same longing which swept him
when he considered the Sudetenland
Czechs. The world knows what hap
pened to CZecho- -Slovaka because of the
feu C1f5etoy,
crocodile sorrow for them and Switzer-
land wonders what would happen to her
should the German Fuehrer be over
come in regard to Swiss Germans.
1t is interesting to realize that,
since Munich, Switzerland has greatly
strengthened her standing army and has
added to her border fortifications OF
course, Switzerland has the Alps for
natural Notifications, but the mar made
military defenses have been strength
ened, too.
1t is felt pretty generally that Hitler
has special delusions of grandeur which
would cause him to regard Switzerland
as an especially interesting object of his
attention, not in spite of, but because of
the location Of the headquarters of the
League of Nations at Geneva. Hitler
has clearly demonstrated, as we'll as re-
peatedly said, that he does not like any,
body but Germans and believes all other
nations should dwell under German cul-
tural domination. 1t is much the same
idea OF German kultur which animated
the German Emperor, Wilhelm II. in
1914, and caused him to precipitate the
World War.
The downfall of the League as a pres
ent force in international peace affairs
may be said to have begun when it
proved so Intellectual in both the Ethio-
plan and the Spanish crises. There
seemed to be nothing the League could
do. The same Is true of the war in
China. Germany, Italy, Japan, Austria,
Hungary, Czecho- -Slovakia, Ethiopia, AL
ban1a, Mexico, Brazil and half dozen
other countries have withdrawn from the
League for one reason or another.
There has been but one meeting of the
Council since Munich, and this was little
more than perfunctory. The only i'm
portant thing the League has done in
long time has been to give shelter to the
refugee works of art which were brought
out of Spain to preserve them from de-
struction.
1t has not yet been decided where to
move That the ea p,1e will continue i-