Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-05-28

OF the pTlnclpal peoples OF the eaTtu
to establish peace and good will; and
they have committed this desire to
paper and are willing to sign their
names to it. The terms may not be
Just as they would like to have them,
but they are willing to accept them
on trial as the best that may be OBJ
tanned at the present time. No doubt
experience will make necessary many
changes-but when the heart is right
and the different peoples are animated
by sincere purpose to establish law,
and order and justice, there Is reason
to hope that progress will be made.
The terms Of the covenant have been
worked out by the representatives OF
the United States, Great Britain,
France and Italy. Most Of the other
nations of the earth are willing to
follow their lead and accept what they
say is the best that can be had.
The Americans, the British. the Ger
mans and the Japanese are the ma
lions which best know how to estab-
lish orderly government. They have
a genius for organization. The Ger
mans became drunk with dreams TO
world conquest, and can not be trust
ted; they must be controlled until
they are made over, regenerated. The
Japanese at the present time show
every disposition to work in harmony
with the English speaking peoples, and
we should encourage them. The
French, the Italians. and the Scandi-
navians will follow the lead of Great
Britain and America. In general,
they are in agreement with the ideals
of government, and will work with
them tremendously and whole heart
eddy.
If the covenant should be rati-
fed promptly, the nations can go about
the task of setting their home affairs
in order Little progress can be made
in this line till final action on the COW
enant is taken. If it should be adopted
all of the nations which are a party
to it can feel reasonably sure that for
some years. at least they will be pro-
tected against disorderly neighbors
They can stop building war vessels and
munition factories, and training their
peoples for war, and making secret
alliances with one another, and can
give their entire time to rebuilding
their Industrial organizations. The
life giving rays of peace will for q
time at least dissipate the black cloud
Of war and impending war. The
world can not be made over In q day
or year. Human nature can not
be changed by writing down on q
piece Of paper the desire for change.
But sincere beginning will have been
made. War will not have become i'm
possible, but the chances for war will
have been greatly lessened; and as
the representatives Of the different
peoples meet from time to time, as
provided for by the covenant, they
will come to have better understand
ing of one another, and one by one
the causes of friction will be removed.
II the United States should fail to
ratify the terms OF the covenant, that
would be the end of the effort. With
out the power 0fFths United StAtss
behind it, noasuch ftea6ue could exist
for any length Of time. And with equal
truth the same may be said OF Great
Britain. But with these two nations
fully committed to the peace program,
there is always hope that 1t may be
worked out successfully. Without
them there is no hope. The respon-
sibility, therefore, rests upon them. In
justice to themselves and to the other
peoples Of the earth earth, they will not
dare refuse to accept 1t and thus dash
to the ground the hopes OF suffering
humanity.
II we should refuse to accept the
terms Of the covenant, then we must
begin at once to prepare to take care
of ourselves against all corners. That
means training our young men for war
as they come to the proper age. 1t
means building great ornaments and
great war vessels, and forming alli-
ances with other nations, with a view
to future conflicts. In all probability
it means, further, that there will be
two great armed forces in the world,
one composed of the English speaking
peoples, with probably France and a
of smaller nations and the
other composed of the Germans, the
Russians, the Japanese, and perhaps
a few other nations which may cast
their lot with them. With such an
of forces, it is not diff
cult to imagine what may happen with
in the next thirty years.