The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-02-27

An Extreme Statement
That the covenant will admit all
the other powers TO participation
in our affairs is an extreme state
ment. The league does hold this
country amenable to the regula-
tions for the world in the establish
ment of which this country parti-
cipated. We shall be expected to
live up to the international law we
had share in making. If we are
to hold the covenant to be "a scrap
OF paper" when it may be our in
terest to do so-and that is what
our jingoes insists upon finally
then of course every other nation
can do the same, and there will be
unending war. But covenants are
made to be kept. and not to be
broken. And the way to have the
covenants kept is to make them
public, and to make public all sides
OF all cases of dissatisfaction or
disSension between nations. 1t is
a strained Interpretation that would
have it that we are committed TO
participation in every war that may
break out in spite OF every precau-
ton to prevent them.
We cannot be committed to any
war without the action OF our con-
gress, and take it that any other
nation in the compact makes some
thing Of the same reservation with
regard to coercing some lesser ma
ton in the coercion Of which il
does not believe. That we are
committed TO the SUPPRESSION OF
revolutions is not evident. A revo.
ultion is a domestic, not an inter
national affair. 1t is so far as the
league is concerned the business
OF the nation against which revo-
luton is directed. So far as con-
Germs dictatorship over lesser
nations, the covenant profess that
the interests OF the people of those
nations shall be the supreme con-
sideration in all matters detcrm-
ined. There may be danger that
the powers in the league will see
that interest as being identical
with their own, but here again
comes in the provision for discus
sion and publicity and that will act
as 4 prevention Of exploitation.
Exactly to what the league COM
mits us in possible furtherance OF
the predatory purposes of interna-
tional finance | cannot determine.
| suppose we are committed to the
enforcement OF the payment OF ma
tional debts. If so, ! cannot see
how that is to be avoided. Even a
league Of nations cannot get money
if it doesn't pay what it borrows.
You'd think from some argument
on this point that possibly the
right thing for the allies and our
selves to do would be to pay Ger
many's debt more particularly and
especially. You'd think that when
YOU came across the words inter
national finance uttered with male
VIOLENT emphasis, they have but one
meaning-England. 1t is strange
that so much OF the argument
against the league OF nations harks
back to the periidous malciiccnce
OF England. 1t sounds like an echo
Of the old cry, "Gott straie Eng
land" SO lar as ] can see, every
assault made up on the covenant
IS so calculated that while /. ma
hurt one power or another, its ei-
tect II not its purpose, is 10 help
Germany or the German idea.
which new Germany has rot vet
repudiated. This may be only my
superstition. But as concerns in
ttruational finance and its exploit
alton, here again ! think the pro-
visions for publicity will Lave
powerful play for good. | don't
think that the man who shut down
on proposals for exploitation OF
China by our bankers, the man who
insisted that concessionaires in
Mexico should not make this coun-
try pull their chestnuts out OF the
fire, is coming back from Paris,
deludcd into support of a scheme
whereby the international bankers
are to be chartered to plunder the
earth and all who inherit il. The
financial features OF the league have
not been worked out. When they
come to be worked out, don't for
get that the people, and especially
the hitherto exploited people, will
have a hearing,
AS to Our Sovereignty
The United States, it is said. has
surrendered some OF its sovereign
ty in the covenant. Very well. 1t
was just that touchy sovereignty
that made nightly for war. There
was no possibility OF a league of ma
tions without such surrender 10
some extent. There could be no
arbitration without it. But that we
have surrendered our supreme SOW
ereignty, that is to say our self
government, our seli-determination
OF policies, is to say the thing
which i, not. On, but we're to let
other people tell us how manay
warships we shall build, and all
that Well, we shall tell the same
thing to others. We can make
treaty as to shipbuilding or other
armament as we can about any
thing lse. There can be no disarm-
ament without agreement. But 9TH