The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-21
AN OPEN DOOR TO CONFLICT.


terms against the will of Germany. As practical ques
ton it does not matter much whether the Germans ac-
cept or reject the treaty for their acceptance would De
perdous and their rejection would not greatly increase
the burden upon the allies who must enforce the treaty.
whether it signed not by actual control OF Germany
Political strategy however, may induce the Germans
to reject the teraty in the hope Of splitting the allies
The Huns have kept sharp watch of the situation and are
alive to the possibilities of friction among the allies as
of the proposed creation OF the league OF
nations Once that mechanism of intrigue were in opera
ton the chances of harmonious cooperation among the
ales would become SMALL while the probabilities Of fric
ton would be greatly increased Therefore II the Ger
mans feel that they afford to endure invasion for
time they will reject the treaty and tell the allies to en-
force their terms best they can.
Assuming however, that the Germans will conclude
that acceptance better than INVASION and that early
membership in the league offers them opportunities for
intrigue which may lead to revision Of the reparaon
terms of the treaty the prospect then before the United
States will be the return of the President and determin
ed campaign for immediate ratification of the treaty with
the league attachment One of the questions that may
then become prominent the continued harmony of the
nations that defeated Germany.
Is it not probable that in the creation of the league
for estrangement among themselves with corresponding
advantage to the common enemy?
What the first thing be expected from the council
of the league? Will not be instructions to the foreign
department of every member government directing it to
cease independent functonng and requiring it to turn
over al documents concerning pending disputes which
may affect the good relations of nations? That is the
duty of the council and it is the duty of every member
oobey the request of the organization that will then at
tempt to be overload of governments.
How long would free peoples submit to the control and
manipulation of their affairs by foreign body composed
of majority of members belonging to their nation?
Would Americans submit Peacefully to the surrender Of
the Mexican question by their and yield true
obedience to any decision reached by the eight foreigners
at Geneva? With the killing of Americans at the border
how long would Americans tolerate the discussion and in
trgue at Geneva? Yes if they should defy the league
they would be chargeable with dshonor and might be
threatened with war by all the other nations.
Another duty of the council is to try to cut down
ornaments Will England cut down her power al
the behest of the Geneva council majority of whose
members may be non British? She would be morally
bound to do face against all the members OF
the league Who dreams that the United States would
respond to call from the nine gentlemen at Geneva
commanding this nation to attack England for failing
to take orders regarding her power? Yet refusal
to obey the recommendations" of the council woulC
mean war against this nation in turn if the council could
induce other nations to begin
Does anybody suppose that France would accept the
award of an arbitration tribunal taking the heart out OF
the reparaton clauses of the pending treaty? Yet under
the league arrangement Germany could force such ar
arbitration and might win the award of internstona
tribunal France, however will never yield her life or
such point. She would be yielding her life if she
should forego the restoration that must from the
Huns Rather than commit suicide, France would fight
again. and her fight would blow the league of nations to
pieces
thousand items of probable conflict could be cited
Ill growing out of the operation of the league of nations
As the world is constituted the league covenant is a
means of provoking strife and making Of course,
is not meant to be such contrvance, and its sponsors
10 not believe that it would bring such results But
when human nature is considered when it is borne in
mind that the world is full of hatred and
utted thirst for vengeance when it is remembered that
'elf-sacrfcng friendship among nations is iridescent
lream it must be confessed by fair-mnded men that
igament binding good and bad nations together too
lightly is a dangerous experiment at best The more
the project is analysed the clearer its impraeticabity
appears
As Americans the best analysts of free govern
ment in the world and among the few peoples who
have maintained free government against insidious
schemes and plausible Improvement" it goes without