The sun., 1919-04-27

hands of few, suppresses newspapers,
destroys ballot boxes, mercilessly Kills
without trial and real or supposed OPP
ponents, takes over all property and
ends all enterprise. We are against
Bolshevism, Socialism and International
ism we ma ntain and within our limits
we fight to the death for Americanism.
From the dawn OF the story Of human
development in every stage OF their
progress the people have sought leader
ship. The tribe had its chief, the family
it's head and the collective tribes their
king. The beginning OF democracy was
the discovery. after hard experience with
tyranny, that this leader, whatever he
might be called. was not divinity. The
seed OF liberalism was the ability to turn
him out and select his successor. The
great example OF civil and religious lib
erty is In the governments Of the English
speaking peoples. In all essentials the
self-governing colonies OF Great Britain
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
South Af-.ea-have institutions formed
upon our model. All have for the time
being an acknowledged leadership.
Running on Momentum.
The two most powerful rulers In the
world to-day are the President Of the
United States and the Prime Minister Of
Great Britain. The President Is elected
for four years. while the Prime Minister
holds his power at the will and pleasure
OF the House OF Commona In broad
way Great Britain's democracy intrusts
all power to its representatives in Par
Lament and makes its king a figurehead.
We reverse the process by granting great
power to our Presidents, and in practice
the Congress Is n flgurehead.
+. xtslz
OF the vigor. elasticit! and momentum
of our institutions The President and
the Secretary of state have been in
France as members OF the most power
full and important body which ever as
sembled and whose responsibilities tax
every faculty to the utmost of Its MEM
bers. Our Secretary of the Navy has
been in London and received every hos
pitality and attention from our British
brethren while studying their navy Sc
crets. Our Secretary of War has been
much abroad with his colleagues. The
Senators and members OF the House Of
Representatives are scattered to their
homes-North, South, East and West.
The Supreme Court rs about to adjourn.
and yet this old machine Of ours, its
three great divisions, the Executive,
Legislative and Judicial, absent. Is NOV
ing on and apparently doing Its work
as well as ever. II seems to enforce
Thomas Jefferson's famous maxim That
government is best which governs least,
and also Jefferson's other famous max
i'm Avoid entangling alliances with for
eign nations
The Covenants Adventure.
I'm all my long experience l have
never known of a document which has
haH If ND n
nant of the League OF Nations. II
was prepared and unanimously agreed
to by the great congress in Paris, and
was brought to US as perfection. no
part OF II could be changed. The Pres
ident and ex-President Taft gave It
their approval. Mr.. Taft's approval was
so strong that he proposed At the Met
ropolitan Opera House that II should
be embodied in the treaty 50 that the
Senate could not change or reject II
unless they defeated also the treaty
and threw the world into chaos. But
soon afterward Mr.. Taft found that
II needed amendment and cabled four
over. President Lowell of Harvard. its
most scholarly advocate. found that 1t
ought to be rewritten to be understood.
Senators Knox. Reed. Borah and many
OF their colleagues rejected most OF II
and proposed substitutes, while Mr.. Root
after an exhaustive study finds that It
can be made workable only by incor-
poratlng into II six amendments which
he proposes. Mr. William Jennings
Bryan suggests several changes as nee
essary. Most II not all OF its advo-
Gates have asked that II be interpreted
and clarified. The story of tho League
OF Nations is the experience Of all
historic charters They must pass
3 no af Aah IA In, 10
tive halls and the press.
We entered into League Of Nations
at The Hague and Algeciras, but pledged
only our moral power and carefully
safeguarded the Monroe Doctrine. The
war has enlarged our responsibilities,
but our situation Is not the same as our
Allies. We present no claims. we ask
no indemnities or territory, we assume
the whole OF our sacrifices OF men and
money as our contribution to the safety
of the world. In Joining the league We
do not expect to surreder our tradi-
tional policy as TO our own affairs or
those of the Western Hemisphere. The
United States asks nothing. but will
give much. The Hague failure demon
strated that the value OF international
agreements are more on faith than
force.
I'VE will stand by our agreements and
put behind them our power as we'll as
our honor. We have shown In our con-
tribution OF four millions OF soldiers and
twenty-four billions OF treasure up to
the moment OF victory that there is no
limit to our ideallsm or sacrifices for
right and justice. but we wish 10 re-
serve the power to be ourselves the
judges OF its exercise
THE desire for peace 10 unanimous
the WEAKNESS Of war Is universal. We
want first of all a treaty which will
make II impossible for those who
brought on this war to try another one
We want League OF Nations which
will not require an amendment to our
Constitution nor the reversal of those
policies which have made us so great
prosperous and happy. Mr.. Wilson
coined happy phrase when he said
that for over forty years France had
stood upon the frontiers of freedom
This is eminently and tragically true
Except for her might. her awful sacri-
fices, her soul and her spirit. the world
might have been wrecked. Old condi-
tons may return. old perils may revive.