The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-25

now to be most determined that America. shall reunquish the duties which have fallen to her lot as a re- suit Of the war During the pro- gress of the conflict, how often did we hear upon the lips of all our peo- pie. the expression This must be the last war; What heart is there so cold that it does not warm to such a cause? Who will confess that his ardor has been so chilled that he is willing that America should become stacker nation and attempt to draw back with the task unfinished into the fancied security of self-isola ton :?
 l hope that this will not become a partisan question. 1 hope that the great and patriotic masses of the Republican party will prefer the lea dership of Mir. Taft, of Mir. Wick ersham and of President Lowell, of Harvard, to the purely partisan lead ership under which their party organ ization seems unfortunately to have fallen. Some profess to see in the League an entangling alliance and therefore. a violation of the admonf- ions of Washington and Jefferson There are some who quote state ments made by President Wilson in
 
 affect to believe that the present plan indicates q reversal of his position. This is a, strange n1isconception of the sta tements of both Washington and Jefferson and a nisinterpreta ton of the attitude of President Wilson. When Washington and Jefferson spoke, our country was struggling into national existence. It was their idea that it would be dangerous to the young republic to take sides in the quarrels of Europe. They felt that it would be unwise to form an aI- iance with any particular nation, thereby arousing the jealousy and an- tipathY Of others. No one questions the soundness Of this doctrine then or now. Today our nation is the greatest and most powerful m the world and the present purpose is not to form an alliance with any one ra- ton or group of nations, but to es- tablish Q, world league, to which all free nations may ultimately be eligi- ble. This is not an entangIing al- Tance-as our President has said. ''It is Q disentangling alliance"
 There are those who complain that by entering the League, Ameri- ca will surrender her sovereignty. Mo- where in the covenant will there be found any provision or any just in ference supporting such an assertion. The high contracting parties havs not surrendered their sovereignty They propose to form a partnership D for a mutual purpose and have yield ed only such rights as will make that purpose effective. They yield the sovereign right to make war upon other governments without notice. Therein lies the safety of the world. The League of Nations provides for q mutual surrendering of the right upon the part of nations to do evil un- checked and without notice to the world It Is a covenant of honor and not a contract Of abasenent.
 There are others who profess to see in the League an abandonment of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doc Urine was designed to protect the ter ritoriaI integrity and the sovereignty of governments upon the Western Hemisphere from European aggres- sion. It was in effect, an announce ment to the governments of the old world that they would not be permit ted to establish their governments in this hemisphere. In plain and bru- tai language. 1t meant that if any such attempt was made, we reserved the right to fight, The mere asser- ton of such a doctrine has preserved peace in South America so far as for elgn aggression is concerned. The League of Nations carries with 1t the same threat to eny oaltlaw uneaou and