The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1919-01-13
LEAGUE Of NATIONS
A WORLD NECESSITY
Secretary Balfour Says II
Should Do More Than
Prevent War.
WILL BE DIFFICULT
L. S. Must Bear Full Share
in Downing Autocracy,
Saws Briton.
By GEORGE T. BYE


LONDON. Dec. I (by maiD.-SO
great is the Importance of the pro-
nouncement of Mr. BalfOur. British
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
| in its reference to the League of Ma
| tions, as given in a conference with
American newspapermen yesterday
that it will be read with interest at
greater length. although a summary
| of is has been cabled.
In answer to questions which he
| invited after his opening statement,
Mr.. Balfour said he believed full pub
licity should be given the address at
the peace conference, just as they are
given to speeches in the House of
Commons and the American Congress.
The narrOwest Interpretation of the
amount the associated powers wish
to exact from the enemy iS-the ut
most" Mr.. BalfOur said in reply to
another question. He did not believe
the fourteen points set any reStric-
tiOn on this amount, but were a gen.
eral statement of policy rather than a
legal formal statement of details. They
dealt with broad principles. When
the ravaged countries were paid. and
the worlds shipping losses were
paid-an inconceivable sum-it would
be impracticable. purely speculative,
to determine what the enemy should
pay more.
L. s. to Share i'm Reconstruction.
He declared it would be for the good
of everybody if America shared. as
she ought and undoubtedly will, in re-
construction.
THE League of Nations" Mr.. Bal
four went on, as if sensing the un-
voiced question on the correspondents
lips, sis necessity in some shape or
other If this great war is to produce
good, as it has evil to untold extent,
it must give us some control over
war.
Il look forward profoundly to
League of Nations as representing this
control And in it the United States
must bear her full share of response
bility
THE work of the league should be
something more than merely prevent
ing international disputes. Preserv-
ing peace. and preventing war are
great things to strive for, but they are
not the only interests that civilized
mankind has to safeguard.
Human Nature Makes Task Hard.
THE world never was and never
will be an easy place to manage. The
difficulties are with human nature and
the different gradations of civiliza-
ton, with different peoples with diff
ferent ideals, different traditions and
methods. 1t is folly to believe that
the world could be made up into a
large number of similar states, each
with similar institutions.
There is nothing more vague, more
speculative than ideas of a League of
Nations. Yet to turn out something
like workable concrete international
is the highest function the
can propose to itself. Pres
ident Wilson gave us a most striking
phrase when he declared |
the object of the war was to make the !
world safe for demOcracies. But |
don't believe it can be made safe for
demOcracies merely by multiplying |
the number of democratic states.
viii Increase Democracy.
1T is probable the number of de-
will be enormously in
creased-and am not thinking of any |
changes in the constitution of Ger
many. I'm thinking of the multitude
of states being created before cur eyes |
in Eastern Europe. Europe will be
so recreated that war will be impOs-
sible or unlikely. In any truly demo-
cratic state it is impossible for long
designed criminal schemes to be fos-
tered, as it is possible in autocracies.
have proved their guilt |
in the history of the last century, the
last half century. German thinkers,
and their government in that period.
have cherished and pursued a high |
policy of international crime, using |
other states as stepping stones.