The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-10-03
LEAGUE FuLFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says Democra.
cies Replaced Autocracies
at Our Bidding.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHIEF.
Urges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty Will Collapse
Without League Of
~ Nations.

Aeipell hoover IS SO deeply cofi*
cerned over the opposition to the
League Of Nations in the United
States that he has let himself be In
terviewed at length on the League sit
uation. In a talk with the New York
Times correspondent In Paris, the
Food Administration Chief asserts that
having cause the League idea to pre-
vail America cannot abandon 1t. We
cannot withdraw, he says, and leave
Europe to chaos. ITO abandon the
League Covenant now means that the
treaty itself will collapse
Mr.. Hoover's wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad,
his reputation as an administrator, q
man Of great affairs who deals with
facts, not theories, make his state
ment one of the most important con-
tributions to the recent League discus.
siOns.
There are one or two points in con-
nection with the present treaty." said
Mr.. Hoover, that need careful consid-
GRAFTON by the American public. We
need to digest the fact that we have
for 9 century and a half been advo-
eating democracy no only as a
remedy for the ~!ntsspa! us Of a! So
ciety, but also as the only real safe
guard against war. We have believed
and proclaimed, in season and out,
that a world in which there was a
free expression and enforcement of
the will Of the majority was the real
basis Of government, was essential for
the advancement of civilization, and
that we have proved Its enormous hu-
man benefits in our country.
American Ideas Have Prevailed.
1--WE went into the val to destroy
%autocracy as a menace to our own and
all other democracies. If we had not
come into the war every inch of Euro
pean soil today would be under auto
cratic government. We have imposed
our will on the world. Out Of this
victory has come the destruction of
the four great aYtocracies IN Ger:
many. Russia, Turkey and Austria and
the little autocracy in Greece. New
democracies have sprung into being in
Poland. Finland, Letvia, Llthuania,
Esthonia, Czechoslovakia, Greater
Serbia, Greece, Siberia, and ever Ger.
many and Austria have established
democratic governments. Beyond
these a host of small republics, such
as Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and
others, have sprung up, and again az
q result Of this great world movement
the constitutions Of Spain. Rumania,
and eve England, have made a final
ascent to complete franchise and de
mocracy. although they still maintain
q symbol Of royalty.
I'VE have been the living spring fol
this last century and half from which
these ideas have sprung, and We have
triumphed. The world today, excep,
for . comparatively few reactionary
and communistic autocracies, 10 dem
~ocratic, and we did 1t.
"A man who takes . wife and
blesses the world with several infants
cannot 60 away and leave them or
the claim that there was no legal mar
riage.
'These infant democracies all have
political. social and economic prob
lens involving their neighbOrs thai
are fraught with the most intense
! friction. There are no natural bound
aries In Europe. Races are not com
pact; they blend at every border. They
need railway communication and ses
outlets through their neighbors' terri
tory.
MANY OF these states must for tn,
next few years struggle almost FOL
bare bones to maintain their very
existence. Every M of them Is so
ing to DO It's best; to protect Its owl
interests. even to the prejudice Of III
neighbors.
Governments Lack Experience.
I'VE In America should realize tina