Middletown transcript., 1919-09-06

democracy, as a stable form Of govern
ment as we know it, is possible only
with highly educated populations ana
a large force of men who are capable
Of government Few of the men who
compose these governments have nad
any actual experience at governing
and their populations are woefully IL
literate.
"They will require generation OF
actual national life In peace to de-
velop free education and skill In gov
eminent.
"Unless these countries have guild
ing hand and referee in their guarrels,
a court Of appeals for their wrongs,
this Europe will 60 back to chaos.
II there is such an institution, rep
resenting the public opinion of the
world, and able to exert its authority,
they will grow into stability. we can
not turn back now.
"There is another point which also
needs emphasis. World treaties hlth'
erto have always been based on the
theory of balance Of power. Strong
er races have been set up to dominate
the weaker, partly with view 10
maintaining stability and to a greater
degree with a view to maintaining oc-
equations and positions for the re-
dictionaries of the world.
"The balance Of power is born OF
armies and navies, aristocracies,
autocracies, and reactionaries general
ly, who can find employment and
domination in these institutions, ana
treaties founded on this basis have
established stability after each great
war for a shorter or longer time, but
never more than a generation.
America came forward with new
idea, and we insisted upon its injec-
ton into this peace conference. We
claimed that it was possible to set
up such a piece of machinery with
such authority that the balance o.
power could be abandoned as relic
of the middle ages. We compelled an
entire construction Of this treaty and
every word and line in 1t to bend t<
this idea.
"Outside of the League Of Nations
the treaty itself has many deficiencies
It represents compromises between
kmany men and between many selfisf
interests, and these very compromises
and deficiencies are multiplied by thu
many new nations that have entered
upon it's signature, and the very safet.
of the treaty itself lies in q court O
appeal for the remedy Of wrongs il
the treaty.
Benefits Of the League.
zone thing is certain. There Is n
body of human beings so wise that
treaty could be made that would no
develop injustice and prove to hav
been wrong in some particulars. A
the covenant stands today there Is
place at which reiress can be foun
and through which the goodwill Q
the world can be enforced. Phe yer
machinery by which the treaty Is t
be executed, and scores Of points ye
to be solved, which have been referre
TO the League of Nations as metho
Of securing more mature judgment l
a less heated atmosphere, justifies tn
creation Of the League.
ITO abandon the covenant no
means that the treaty itself Will co
lapse.
1T would take the exposure Of b'
few documents at my hand to prov
that had been the most reluctant
Americans to become involved In tn
situation in Europe. But having goI
), in with our eyes open and with d
!. termination to free ourselves and Il
:. rest of the world from the DANCE
that surrounded us, we cannot no
pull back from the job. 1t is no u
to hold a great revival and then
= away leaving a church for continue
: services half done.
1--WE have succeeded in a most e
traordinary degree in imposing up.
- Europe the complete conviction tn
we are absolutely disinterested. y
= consequence is that there is scarce
- man, woman or child who can re-
!. in Europe that does not look to t
: United States as the ultimate sour
~ from which they must receive ASST
70 ances and guardianship in the libertl
!. which they have now secured All
80 many generations Of struggle.
"a "This is not problem Of protect
or the big nations, for the few that
" main can we'll look after themselv
n. What we have done Is to set up
w score of little democracies, and II
- American people could visualize tn
handiwork they would insist with
same determination that they did
:. 1917 that our government proceed