The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-05-21
The Worlds Next Step
NO.
What Is Our Duty in Connection With
the League Of Nations?
BY CLARENCE l.. SPEED

tions?' you may ask. "What have I
got to do with this big world question?
VIII any action on my part have any
influence on the forces that are now
settling the destinieS of the wOrlI?"
Every citizen Of the United States
has a duty to perform now, in connec-
ton with the league Of nations, just
as urgent as lie had when we were al
war; You did not hesitate to DO Your
part then just because you were only
one of hundred million and On the
theory that any little saving or invest
ing or working that you could do
would have little effect toward de-
feating Germany.
Every individual citizen is represent
ed in Washington by senator. You
may not know him; may never have
seen him. Nevertheless he has some
respect for your opinions; he wishes
to win your vote once more. IF he did
not respect the opinions of his con-
stituents he would be queer person,
for he is sent to Washington to carry
out the wishes of the aiority of the
voters.
Now the United states senate is the
body which has the power to ratify or
reject treaties. The British premier
has promised to submit the peace
treaty to parliament for its approval,
too; but lie has just had an election
and knows where parliament stands.
When the representatives of all or
most Of the OTHER nations sign the
treaty of peace, that is all that is nee
cssary. 1t then becomes operative.
But America will not be at peace
with Germany nor will it be a men,
Der of the league of nations until the
senate has ratified the treaty. If the
senate should refuse to ratify it, we
would then be in the position of being
at war when all the remainder of the
world was at peace, and of being out
side OF league Of nations which emf
.braced most of the other important
countries.
lis it possible" you may ask, "that
the senate could fail to ratify a treaty
and thus leave us out in the cold? Are
Grated world? Can we assume the
role OF China and build Il wall of eX-
clusiveness around u.s."
Looked at in that light it does not
seem possible yet when one listens to
the speeches made daily in the senate
| are far from ready to vote for the
| treaty which contains provision for
league OF nations. They may believe
| that they are backed by the voters. It
Is our duty as voters to let them know
whether they are carrying out our
wishes or NOT.
In this series of articles there has
been no attempt to present an arg.l-
| snent that the constitution of the
| league of nations as it stands is per-
| feet document. There very likely is
room for many improvements. II
there were not, it would be an excep-
| ton to every other constitution ever
adopted
Conditions may arise a decade OF
century from now of which we can
have no conception at this time, any
more than the trainers of the Ameri
can Constitution could have "foreseer
| the developments of today.
| But there can be no doubt that the
| world, rs whole, now disapproves OF
war and denies the necessity for war
/ and that the league of nations as now
proposed is a sincere effort to do away
| with tha 1auvar of yxor
| There is every reason to believe that
| it stands more than fair chance OF
succeeding, while it is so drawn as to
| present few if any perils that we have
not always had with us if it fails te
succeed.
| The constitution of the league does
not prevent the United States from
| doing anything it wants to do, for the
reason that the United States has nc
| designs on the property of its neigh
bors. 1t does not impose any new bur
dens upon us comparable with the wal
debt which has just been heaped on us
through no fault or desire of our own.
The league may call upon the United
States to do its part in governing SOME
of the backward portions of the globe
until they are ready to govern them
selves. This may entail some expense
some trouble possibly some small los
of American lives, as in the case o.
the Philippines, but nothing in com
| parison to the losses in men and none,
sustained in our participation in wha
was for us only the fag end of IL grea
world war.
Every man must do his duty In hi
own community, if he expects goot
/ government. IL he believes in tn,
league of nations, 1t is his duty now tt
let his representatives in the senate
know it, If he does not, 1t likewise Il
his duty to make his beliefs known.
The plain people, the world over
are letting it be known that they ar,
! against international war. Most o
them believe that the league of ma
lions Is now the one way to prevent it
II you so believe, you are not doins
your duty, unless you let your senator
know that you want the treaty rati
fed.
Illinois senators are Medill McCor