Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-12
Thursday, December II, 1918.
A lesqus Of Nations

magnanimous altruistic. constantly
devoted 10 ard tirelessly working
for. the welfare OF each other is the
most beautiful ideal within the range
Of the human intellect. If it were
made to include ALL nations and
ALL peoples then the millennium
would be at hand end this weary
old world could in truth rejoice. But
when the President appropriated the
idea and made IL tho last of his IA
points he phrased il "a general as
sociatiOn Of nations This seems to
imply that the association is not to
be universal. Who is to be left out?
who is TO be admitted? What are
the qualifications for membership?
What are the responsibilities and
privilege, OF the members?
These are a few of the questions
that must be answered before any
such league can he fabricated at the
peace conference.
IN answer to the third question
viii go far toward answering the
first and second.
what are the qualifications for
membership? The first. last and
greatest requisite which will include
all others is firm feeling of mutual
trust and respect. No man will VOL
unfairly form a business partnership
with a man whom he knows he can
not trust. or OF whose honest inten-
tons hc has suspicion. Likewise no
league OF nations can exist in which
any member is distrusted or sus-
pected Of not playing the game
squarely.
A second qualification for mem
bcrship in the league Is national
ability TO deal with a question or
situation on the basis Of absolute
justice. not from the standpoint Of
expediency and self interest. Worse
than useless would be league
whose members might seek to
further their own interests by CO.
ercion OF any of their associates.
\ third qualification for member
ship must be. as the President says,
"the purpose OF affording mutual
guarantees OF political indepen-
dence and territorial integrity to
great and small states alike"
On this working basis the ques-
tions of who shall he left out and
who admitted to the league OF ma
tions can be broadly answered.
Apparently nobody has thought
Mr. Wilson meant TO include West
coast savagcs and Australian bush
men in his proposed league. Why?
Because they cannot be respected
and trusted because they cannot be
thought TO have q clear comprehen-
sion of how to deal justly with an
issue; because they cannot be de-
pended upon To help provide the
guarantees above mentioned.
Apparently very many Americans
nnd Europeans do think he intends
60 include Germany and the peoples
who have been associated with her.
We submit that West Coasters and
O., -
90 the future peace and security Of
the world than n Germany whose
stili says it is unbeatcn. whose in
Iustries are TO be subsidized to flood
the world with her goods.
There exists at the present mo-
mcnt the best league of nations that
likely To know, in the Great ALI
ancc headed by France and Britain.
and including some 20 other states.
great and small which. cemented by
four years OF blood and suffering
t"rrorisms OF the Hun. These ma
tons have the trust and respect OF
each other. they have the real sym
pathy ~ suffering together. they have
an intimate knowledge of each 9TH
erS customs. feelings and view
points as they have never had before.
All these great assets are at hand.
England and France know. II our
President and some OF us do not
know. that any attempt to treat
Germany as an equal and as
friend is foredoomed to failure, IL
not calamity. for the heart OF the
German has not changed. From the
early history Of the Germans until
now they have been the same, a
scrap OF paper" nation.
The insistence OF President Wilson
20 include Germany in the league
will. in addition to bringing in the
danger OF Germany as such. also Sc
riously strain the good feelings now
existing between the European Allies
and the United States. President
Wilson asserts that he represents