Smyrna times., 1919-12-03
NECESSITY OF A
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
should Eliminate War in Ninety
Nine Out of One Hundred
Cases.

Wish TO maintain the proposition
that League of Nations is not only
desirable but an absolute necessity
and for three reasons, any one of
which would be sufficient to justify
that phrase.
FIRST, 1t is necessity for winding
up the war. We must not forget that
this war has unsettled almost every
thing; has destroyed nations. and
has created new nations on paper.
such as Finland, Poland, Czecho-Slo
vakias Jugo-Slavia, the Ukraine and
the Balkan States and some semi
independent bodies ike Armenia, the
Caucasus, and Palestine. These small
states will be even more at the mercy
OF the great states than Belgium was,
If we do not guarantee in some way
their independence.
Then there are the great problems
of the landlocked countries, which
must have an outlet to the sea, and of
certain international areas, like the
Bosphorus, which must be admins
tered by league of nations. Then
there are the German Colonies. which
need, for obvious reasons, to be ad-
ministered internationally.
Finally, as Mr.. Taft predicted, this
peace treaty is as long as the moral
law. 1t will require Interpretation,
and it will require enforcement, for
both of which we need a league of.
nations.
Secondly, we need it in order to
avoid a recurrence Of what has con-
stftuted a veritable curse even in
times Of peace, competitive arna-
ments.
IN armies and naEies leaves the nA-
tons in the end in Substantially the
same relative positions as in ths be-
ginning. Yet we mnst each In self
dasenss, keep up in this race. To Eu7
rope this win mean economic ruin; to
US, high ta1es.
There are business men who are
fighting shy Of the idea Of q leagne
of nations with the thought that It Is
going to unsettle trade internationally
afraid; perhaps, that the tarff VIII
be disturbed in some way. But any
possible gain that could be had by
maintaining the status ono would be
cancelled many times over by the loss
from the tanes-enormoSlsly high
which would be required 10 keep up
our end in this international compe-
tition In armaments. Our own coun-
~. Of 10 rrrern1f1a TrrryQtld fa
reduced a long way toward poverty.
This world would be scarcely fit to
live IN
We have reached the parting of the
ways as to our policy on ornaments.
Either we must compete with the rest
of the world, or combine with the
rest of the world
The third and most important Fea-
son for league Is 10, prevent the re-
currence of a word war.
A leagne should eliminate war In
| 80 out of 100 cases, because It af-
fords another way than war to settle
| the Inevitable dispnts. A collective
poHce force takes the place of ma
tional military foDces. The national
| prnAe which so offen Leads 10 war WI
be transferred 70 keeping treaties.
10 b0neer WEI a nation need 10 go TO
war TO ~saFe It's facs" rscher than re
eede frnn an unhenahae positions for
the asw@rd Of the tf1Ard party WIN pSe-
ssrve ms sa1f- respect EEEtheSmoSe,
whnnnwer dharmnuenG takes place
wHf tend 10 dtuAnAah the danger oa
w~r and reGsaoe Ms Sca1s n IT. comes
Many peopAe are tn1ffnerenf to on
coownEm Of the idea Of league o.
nafsnns chAsHy because they hack the
fmngtnacAn TO Peoat7e the horrible
aS>ernatfve.
IN order then 10 wind up this war
10 prevent oppressive taxes in times
OF peace, and 10 prevent future wars
we need a League Of Nations.
But besides these three reasons
which are purely selfish, there is
reason which outweighs them all. Ir-
respective of our interests, irrespec'
tive of the fortunes of any man Of
marty. we are in honor bound to de
this thing. Our boys went abroad, tC
make the world "safe for democracy
and to do it forever. We owe IT II
them that their labors shall not have
been in vain. We are talking abou
erecting monuments to them-memo
rial arches, and bridges, and build
ings. Let US first erect a monumen
which win not only commemorate bu
perpetuate their work, the monumen
of a League Of Nations.
IRVING FISHER,
Professor Yale University
Dept. Political Economy