Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-03-19
TAFT COMES ON HIS
GREATEST TRIP FOR
VISIT IN THE SOUTH

WIOtE bGb bAbG ~ u
NEW YORK, March 19.-Former
President Taft's tour through eight
states of the South and Southwest. be-
ginning at Richmond, March 81, and
ending at Oklahoma City, March 90,
will not be his first trip to that region,
but it will be the most important visit
lie ever made there. For with the
hearty cooperation of eight governors,
as many mayors, the same number of
Chambers of Commerce and a long list
Of leading private citizens, the former
President of the United States, who is
now President of the League to En-
force Peace, will do all that is posi-
gle in so brief time to explain what
the organization just mentioned is
and what it seeks to accomplish.
Briefly stated, the points are these:
The League to Enforce Peace is not
yet League" but an organization 20
promote league of nations to be
formed after the close of the present
war for the purpose of maintaining
the future peace of the world, so far
as that is humanity possible. This is
believed can be accomplished by form
ing a league, or alliance. or whatever
one chooses to call it, embracing at
the outset all, or at least most, of the
great powers pledged to do these
things: Send delegates to an internA-
tional conference which shall meet
from time to time to formulate and
codify international law; establish an
international court to which nations
may submit any issues that may
arise between them if these can be
tried according to the rules of law Or
equity; establish council of concilia-
tion to endeavor to compose different-
es that cannot be so tried; bind the-l-
selves to use their combined economic
and military forces against any mem
Der of the league or alliance that be-
gins war upon another member with
out first submitting, or offering in good
faith to submit, the issue to court or
council.
Tho rrorocodF aer,o u,i1l not at
tempt to enforce the DEGREES of court
or council, nor sill it attempt to COM
pei any member to submit grievance
to either. 1t proposes to do just one
thing and that is to use force immed-
lately upon any member that goes o
war without first trying the means
provided for settling grievances
amicably. 1t will take a year, per-
haps two, to get decision in the
court or council and this is believed 20
be ample time to enable the people IF
the nations involved to reach clear
of what is involved ana
to decide whether or not the matter is
worth fighting about. If either party
il dissatisfied with a decision Of the
court or a recommendation of the
council it will then be free to go to
war without any interference from the
other members of the league. This
may not prevent all wars hereafter
but it certainly win prevent most of
them.
One of the first blessings anticipat-
ed from the formation OF the proposed
league Of nations will be the reduction
of armaments-a burden that before
the present war began had become al
most intolerable.
1t should be borne in mind that the
League does not seek to end the pres
ent war. 1t believes that adequate
preparation for national defense is es-
sential to the success of its program.
Its executive committee by unanimous
vote has assured the National govern
ment of its support in the present in
ternational crisis.
The League is working hard to eX-
plain its program to all the voters III
order that the government may have
the support of public opinion in tax
ing whatever steps may be possible
now TO commit the nations to the form
alton of league to enforce peace be-
fore the war ends, because if left until
after the treaty of peace shall have
been signed it is feared that the world
may be cheated out of a basis of last
ing peace as it was by the Congress
of Vienna a century ago.