AMERICA AND THE LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17230, 5 August 1919, Page 6

AMERICA AND THE LEAGUE.

' —--—" l l lU<II ' I An essential characteristic of the League of Nations. Covenant is the = latitude it allows for the free development of measures to preserve the world's peace. But vital to its existence as a real force in international politics is the acceptance by all its members of the doctrine 1 that free peoples are responsible for - the protection' of liberty wherever i it is threatened. It was the idealfc ism of the American people that • brought the plan for "a general - association of nations " to fruition, i though, until he was confronted by ' the stern realities of the Peace Con- ! ference, even Mr. Wilson himself did - not realise how deeply he had com- ' mitted America to participation in i affairs from which she had tradi- ■ tionally held aloof. Now, almost I paradoxically, and principally as a i result of the Senate's dislike of the • manner in which America's share in ; the Peace Conference was arranged, i it is in the United States that the : first systematic attack upon the ■ structure of the League has been I made. Ratification of the treaty re- . quires a two-thirds vote in the , Senate, and the Republicans, .already in a majority, are apparently pressing proposals for the amendment of the covenant which, what- • ever their original purpose, have i clearly a tendency towards the ; wrecking of the whole plan. The , covenant's final and most vital safeguard againsfe aggressive wars is the ' automatic assembly of the League in 1 defence of the imperilled States. In • face of this article, acceptance of • the proposal by Mr. Hughes that the , United States shall not agree to , employ military forces in any pos- . sible future conflicts except by consent of the Congress would seem a 1 decisive renunciation of the new 1 confession of faith and a positive 1 refusal of the obligations which are i involved by adherence to the , League. Mr. Hughes thus endeavours to restore America to that attitude of detachment from European politics which she so reluc- ' tantly forsook two years ago. If only by reason of their superior • strength, Britain and America have , the power to prevent international , disorder. The responsibility which that power imposes has been acknowledged by Britain in the ratification of the treaty; and appar- , ently, as always in matters of peace : • and war, Britain's acceptance of the covenant pledges the whole Empire to go to war against any breakers of this treaty among the nations. ' The will wait with not a little anxiety for the decision of the American Congress. If the views ; of Mr. Hughes and other Republican politicians prevail, the Senate will . reject Mr. Wilson's message of May 20, in which he repeated his convic- , tion that America " cannot stand apart " from questions concerning the world's peace, and proclaim in- I stead the policy of exclusive nation'- ' ahsm and the withdrawal of America < from the guarantors of the world's ' peace. Whether the League would survive such a deliberate declaration ' of its covenant as a piece of imprac- ] ticable idealism is doubtful indeed. ■