Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-12-23
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

The LEAGUE OF NAI1ONS.
That practically all of the people of
the United States, England, France,
Italy, and many of the intelligent peo-
pie Of Russia, Germany, Austria Hun
gary and other countries are favorable
to league of nations to preserve peace
there can be no question. The world
is sick Of war and the world wants
rest from wars eXactiOns and sacri-
fees There is no possible doubt about
this. The desire for effective meas
ures to Danish future wars is sincere
and almost UNIVERSAL.
However. when the organization of
such league passes from the stage OF
generalities and reaches the point
where concrete formation must be
effected the great obstacles of the prob
lem present themselves to view. Yet
the people are not discouraged They
hope plan will be devised and adopt
ed and that future experience will
hardly be expected that good and
satisfactory working organization can
be effected on short notice. 1t will re-
quire experience and time. Some fea-
ltures that look good now will later on
be discharged while others not now
thought of will in all probability be
adopted. A satisfactory league of ma
tons must of necessity be a plant
Of steady growth and no member of
lack of faith or want of sincerity for
its future efficacy because such nation
may deem it wise to prepare its own
strength for. eventnalities.
The leading statesmen of Great
Britain are anxious for the formation
of such league, but they insist that
Great Britain must maintain its fine
navy. They do not want to put all
their eggs in one basket and trust to
the uncertainty of the future. They
are only exercising that caution and
foresight that have made the British
empire one of the strongest and best
governed in the history of the world.
Let the British keey their navy.
France will come ont of this war
with the strongest national morale in
her history as republic, while she
now has the strongest and best equip
ped army in the world. France will
not feel like surrenderiDg her means of
defense to the hope that the league of
nations will forever keep her out OF:
war. She may hope that no more wars
will take place, but she will want f.
be prepared to protect her national life
in the event of conflict breaking out
in the future. France will hardly con
sent, at this time. to repeal conscrip.
ton and dismantle her leading gun and
plants. France has been Iiv-
ing in fear of war for half century
and it is unlikely that the French PEG
pie can put away this fear merely be-
cause there promises to be an era of
extended peace. 1t will be time
enough, France will likely conclude,
to disaYm when the league of nations
has proven its stability and capacity to
do what it is intended to.
Italy, too, will want to rely upon
her own strength to preserve the fruits
of her great victory. She has been
robbed and exploited for a century and
will want to have it demonstrated that
the proposed league of nations to pre-
serve peace will preserve it.
The United States is probably the
most credulous nation of them all.
She feels SO secure in her isolation
from the seething trouble of Europe
that she may be willing to take a.
chaice in the future as she has in the
past Yet there is large number of
people in this country-pOssibly a ma
do not want to place the
future welfare of the country in the
hands of any league of nations that
might be organized, at least until a
period of probation has established the
efficacy of such an organization to per-
form the functions for which it was
formed. The national administration
IS giving every reason to believe that
t is ready to accept any assurances OF
peace for the future, DIS it has entered
lpon a comprehensive naval program
ooking to the expenditure of 100000
100 for naval expansions during the
next three years and is even now, after
he close of the war, asking for vol
lnteers to the navy, trying to increase
he force from 131 900 to 217.000 men.
The league of nations is PROPOSE
ion to conjme with. 1t has soOth-
ing sound and is pleasing to think
about 1t may be the panacea its
Sponsors hope. 1t may surprise the
world. 1t may Danish wars from the
ace of the earth. We all hope so. We
ire all anxious to give it trial, but