The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1919-03-07

dting Wnen we say tnat the matters
contained in the constitution of the
League Of Nations are the most
momentous in their effect upon the
government and the people of the
United States since the Civil war.
They are closely related, in fact, to
the problems presented for discussion
and determination by the people in
the formation Of the constitution of
the United States. We will merge
our destinies with those of other
Nations of the world, share their bur-
dens, participate in their quarrels,
and become party to al the inter-
national complications arising from
difference of race and language and
conflict of interests of the various
peoples of Asia, Africa and Europe.
"Mind your own business, is good
motto for an Individual and hereto
fore it has been the fundamental
principle of our foreign policy as a
nation. 1t has saved us from many
wars and given us long years of peace
in which we have developed our social
and industrial life, brought happiness
to our people, and made US great and
prosperous among the other nations
of the world. The question is now
presented as to whether we are to adj
here to this policy of Washington
and Monroe,-if cultivating friendly
relations with all nations and making
entangling alliances with none, or
whether we are to enter into a treaty
and adopt constitution of a league
which binds us to a great number and
possibly to all the other nations of
the world in the most entangling
alliance that could be conceived.
We have heard a great deal in re-
cent years of the right of the people
themselves to direct the affairs of the
government and have free discussion
of all affairs. The constitution of
the league of nations which was
pi hiecu III VIC al eSihoOH pdPCio VI
Friday, February 14th, 1919 was
framed in secret. Until it was so
published, the world, whose future
was to be controlled by its provisions,
was purposely kept in entire ignor
ance of any of its provisions.
1t came forth full panoplied as
though borne to us from the heavens.
On the same day a request from the
President was made in behalf of it's
provisions. On February 10th, 1919,
the President published to the world
a request that it's provisions be not
debated in Congress until he could be
present. Can We call this "free dis
cussion of the people"
Five of the members of this league
out of nine shall be the United States,
Great Britain, France, Italy and
Japan, and they shall select four
others. If they should select Ger
many, for instance-Germany, one of
the great populations of the world,
then with the great capacity that
Germany has for propaganda and for
organization and for the manipulation
she should be able to secure the CO.
operation of the other three of these
additional four members, then, with
one other out of the five, she could
control the executive council of the
league. The league will have but
nine initial members, thus giving the
United States but one vote against
eight foreign votes when it comes to
the question of how much of an
army or how much Of navy the
United States may have.
Europe has had about one hundred
wars in the last century, and we got
into just one of them. When you get
through with your little league of
nations, if Europe should have a hun
dred wars we would be party to all
of them.
Emergencies which have arisen in
the past, may rise in the future. The
protection of Venezuela from Ger
many and Great Britain, the freeing
of Cuba from the despotism and
cruelty of Spain under Roosevelt,
Cleveland and Mckinley, in pursuance
of the famous policy of Monroe, would
have been impossible under a league
of nations. All of these issues in
stead of being decided by the United
States would be left to the admins
tration of an alien power, established
under the League of Nations.
What the outcome would be. no one
can tell. Whatever it would be, it
would be the decision which at the
time correspondent with the motives
and beliefs of~the majority of the for
eign members of the league. This of
course means the end Of American
determination and control of these