Evening star., 1944-11-21
Plans for League Seen
Being Torn to Shreds
Spheres of Influence Blocs Will
Jeopardize Peace, Says Writer
BY Dapid La,crence

Jeopardize Peace, Says Writer
BY David Laurence
While Americans NAV argue over
procedural questions such as what au-
thority shall be given to the American
delegate to the proposed League Of Ma
tions, the foundations OF that new world
organization are already being frittered
away before the document is even sub
mitted to the Congress for ratification.
News that the influential London
Times has formally indorsed the idea
of carving up Europe with balance
of-power" system of a bloc of states
under Britain's sphere of influence"
and another bloc of states under Rus
sias sphere of influence" is SO dis
heartening as to cause American OBJ
servers to wonder how much further
the so-called negotiations for world
peace.
The "balance-of-p power" vice was We
hemently fought by Woodrow Wilson as
the intensified rivalries between groups
of nations. The attempt of the London
Times and other British influences now
to describe the proposed spheres of
influence" as coming within the frame
work of the new world organization is
reminiscent of what happened at the
Versailles peace conference when again
and again reactionary statesmen at
tempted to foist upon that conference
the selfish desires of their respective
countries and argued that they were all
within the famous IA points" on which
peace was supposed to be based.
Moscow Declaration.
Today the historic Moscow declara-
ton, which specified that all peace
loving nations would be admitted to the
new league and that it would be q
league of equal sovereign states, has
been torn to pieces by the London
Times and the British sponsors of the
balance power" idea.
There is no concealing the disappoint-
ment felt here that spheres of inf1u-
ence" have arisen again to plague world
peace. 1t is inconceivable that either
Pre- ident Roosevelt or Secretary Hull
could sanction even remotely the
principle Of two biocs Of powers to
dominate Europe. 1t may be that the
American Government will find its hand
strengthened by the protest that will
arise On every side in this country when
it is discovered that this war may have
been fought in order to permit two big
empires to dominate Europe and to put
smaller states under their thumb.
1t is recognized, of course, that the
British move is made somewhat in self
protection as against the Russian move
to gather to her side friendly states in
the Balkans. But two wrongs do n3t
make a right, and unless the American
Government speaks out forthrightly
against spheres of influence" and states
that the new world peace organizatlcn
shall not be dominated by any imperial
isttc power, the chances of Americo n
entry into such an organization may be
considered remote.
The American Congress is net likely
to pledge the use of American armed
forces when there are already in eyist-
ence two rival groups of nations with
ornaments sufficient to protect their
interests. If Europe insists on going i'm
perialistic, it will merely force America
to build larger Army and Navy for
her own protection and to await dispas-
sionately and in tragic silence the evo-
luton thereafter of the rivalry between
Britain and Russia in Europe.
Both Russia and Britain are protest.
ing that their alliances with their re-
spective groups are not aimed at each
other But the history of the world
shows that whenever the principle of
universal league or society is aban-
doned and rival groups are set up, the
result is friction and ultimately war
Bishops Statement.
1t is significant that the Cat .olc
bishops of the United States, in their
recent statement, have declared openly
that there must be no return to the
"balance-of- power" idea and that states
must establish the -four freedoms"
within their own borders as a condition
of membership in the new world league.
This is obviously aimed at Russia. When
an influence as powerful as the Catholic
bishops in the United States has the
courage to speak out plainly against i'm
perialism in Europe, it may be taken
for granted that other church influences
will likewise recognize that the trend
toward "spaeres of influence is not
only most unhealthy but that totalitar-
ian:sm must be deplored no matter
1t will be useless for Congress to dis
cuss the proposed agreement that came
out of Dumbarton Oaks if it is so soon
to be nullifled by Britaili and Russia.
The excuse that these alliances could
be sanctioned by the world league will
hardly be accepted as persuasive. It
would be most unfortunate if dissension
between the Allies at this stage of the
war developed, and it may be that the
best American policy will be to avoid
further discussion until the war is
actually ended. For it would be foolish
to submit to the Congress the Dunbar
ton Oaks plan now, because it seems
certain that our legislators are not GO
ing to agree to American participation
in world league unless the principle
of the Wilsonian League of Nations at
least is adopted, and unless there Is q
universal society of equal sovereign ma
tions rather than a favored few.
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