Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-09
yanquished and Prussian militarism
'cace Problems Grave

=
destroyed.
Peace Problems Grave
Now we are confronted with the
problems of peace; the establishments
of peoples to new condition in a
world essentially different from the
world before the war: the reaping of
the fruits of victory; the levying and
collection of indemnity and the pro-
per adjustment of the punitive fea-
lures of peace, are only q few of the
problems to be determined by the
peace council and enforced against
the conquered belligerents.
But most important OF ALL in mvI
estimation, will be the arrangement
the details of that future league OF
nations destined as we hope hereafter
to safeguard and insure the peace of
the world Perhaps / overestimate
the importance of a league of nations
and am blind to the difficulties which
render its contamination impossible;
but as | subscribed the original or
ganization papers of the American
branch of the League to Enforce
Peace and have been continuously di-
rectly associated with that organization
as president of the state branch of the
league and a member of the national
executive committee, | know you will
pardon me if state that so far as my
knowledge goes, no one speaking with
the authority of that organization hasl
ever yet attempted to formulate itsl
details or the limit of it's jurisdiction,
or the methods by which its powers
shall be exercised, or to do more than
give a general outline of its pro-
posed procedure.
League of Nations Practicable.
There are, however, some things
! that disturb some of the critics of the
organization in and out of the sem
ate of the United States, as to which
| believe this audience will be will
ing to accept a statement of my indi-
| vidual opinion as probably representa-
tive of the attitude of the national or
ganization, although | especially dis
| claim any authority to speak for it.
| assume also. but without any au
| thoritys other than my own Judgment,
that the league of nations to which
| President Wilson has committed him
self, represents the same general idea
as that for which we have labored
| since the organization of our League
! to Enforce Peace in independence hall
| at Philadelphia in 1915.
| sovereignty Not Involved.
Now. if ] understand the purpose
of that organization, it has never been
| in contemplation that the United
| States or anv other nation by joining
! this league should divest itself of any
| portion of its sovereign power. To
| answer some of the specific criticisms
recently made, I have never supposed
that it was any part of the purpose
| that when our government joined this
| e oh or
| control of the Panama canal or aban-
don the Monroe doctrine; that Turkey
! or Patagonia, or, If you please, Eng
! land, France or Germany, or any 9TH
| err signatory of the league agreement,
| should be invested, separately or joint
! ly with power or authority to infringe
upon our exercise of sovereignty in
any way whatever; or that we were
! engaged in an effort to create q super
state or a president of the world; or
| that we proposed to maintain an army
! and navy as an international police
| force which should at the dictation or
! behest of any official or combination
| of officials of such a league, be en-
! powered to restrict the sovereignty of
the smallest signatory power.
Rights Carefully Guarded.
If l have understood the aims and
| objects of this organization, its pri-
mary purpose has been to maintain in
| violate individual sovereignty of the
| signatories, and it has been my belief
| that any resort by members of the
| league to enforce their joint judgment.
would be i'm all of its essentials war
within even narrow definition of that
term I have believed, | still believe,
| and think it the belief of our national
| organization, that the use of force
! by the league of nations will be so
| safeguarded and the rights of the sig
| natories so carefully adjusted that a
| resort TO force as a means of ADJUST
/ mert of international differences Will
| become obsolete, and l have an abid-
/ ing faith that forever hereafter it Will
| be impossible to unite any conSldefa-
| BILE portion of the people of the world
| in support of an unjust cause Indeed,
! the underlying idea is that we have
| reached the stage in the worlds MS
| tory when it is possible to substitute
| reason for force in the adjustment OF
| international controversies, as it is be-
| coming more and more possible to SUD
| stitute reason for force in the ADJUST
| ment of personal differences. We cher
ish no hope that human nature has
been or will be essentially changed;
| we nave llO tdtt lileit WINS, OPPiNN
! sion and over-reaching can be oblit-
\ Grated; but we do believe that the
| principle which deters the burglar
| from an attempt to blow the bank S
safe in the full glare of an electric
light and with squad of policemen
4 on the corner can be made effective
i by league of nations. and we desire
| to bring to bear upon international
controversies the same influence which
the electric light and the squad of
i policemen exercise upon the burglar S
] propensity.
I The Peace Council.
We expect wide divergence of
| views in the peace council; we realize
| that this divergence of views may be
harmonized, or may eliminate in ir-
reconeilable conflict. We believe the
/ American people would have their