Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-28
Editorial Comment
League and Treaty
(Biddeford Journal)


In an editorial. reprinted on this
page, Editor Chadbourne of the Ken
nebec Journal, takes icsue with the
editor Of the Biddeford Journal on
the subject Of acceptance or rejec-
ton Of the peace treaty as formulat-
ed in the Paris peace conference by
the representatives Of the allied and
associated powers. Reduced to it's
lowest terms. Chad believes we
should ratify the league Of nations
covenant. but believes that the peace
treaty needs explanation, while we
are favorable to a ratification Of the
treaty. provided it can be separated
from the league Of nations pact. or
so modified that the obnoxious fea-
lures of that proposed agreement,
the points which destroy or endan-
ger our national independence. will
be denatured or eliminated altogeth-
er. It is folly to assume that the
terms Of the peace treaty cannot be
enforced without the machinery pro-
vided by the league covenant. and the
assumption that establishment of
the league will assure safety for the
future is equally fallacious. This is
recognized by the Big Three. Eng
land. France and America. through
the proposed treaties under which
England and America both agree to
60 to the assistance Of France in
ease the latter is again menaced by
her ancient enemy. If. the machin-
cry of the league Of nations will do
the work for which we are told it is
designed. why the necessity Of the
league within a league? There could
be no palmer confession Of the weak
ness Of the lart er league than the
formation Of the smaller ones.
We agree with Chad that it is time
to drop SILLY Kidding and pretense
and get down to business" Really.
the fiddling and pretense should have
been dropped several months ago.
when President Wilson. as the self
constituted representative of Ameri-
ca in the peace conference. put it up
league Of nations scheme as a pre-
requisite to the formulation of a
peace. treaty. To compare great
things with small: Imagine the case
of a fire in big city; that it had
become a conflagration too big for
the local fire department to handle
and help had been summoned from
neighboring cities and towns. When
these various departments had re-
of the hose could not be used because
the threads on the couplings were not
the same as the threads on the hy-
drants. In this emergency, the fire
chief in charge calls a halt while all
hands get together for a discussion
Of the standardization Of hose coup
lings. This would be a case in point.
Such Standardization, so that all fire
hose would fit all fire hydrants.
would be good thing. but the time
for discussion. assuming it had been
delayed until after the fire had start
ed, would be after the fire was UNI
der control. A league Of nations may
be just what The world needs in it's
business though previous leagues
have proved impractical in serious
emergencies but its formulation might
we'll have been postponed until the
peace treaty had been an accom-
plished fact. The league that had
beaten Germany to her knees would
have had ample power to enforce
provisions of the subsequent treaty.
The fire has practically burned itself
out and the fire chiefs, the firemen
and the spectators are still discus
sing standardization Of hose COUP
lings. but here and there are still
piles Of smouldering embers which a
brisk wind would render dangerous.
| The thing to do is to drown out ev-
cry vestige Of the conflagration and
then take up, in serious and prac-
teal way, the question of standardi-
zation Of hose couplings.