The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-04-21
A POLITICAL. ATTACK

Senator Poindexter's Seattle speech, de- livered "Wednesday, judging from brief tele- graphic reports received here, is no different from remarks which he made on the senate floor in Washington and speeches delivered by him in other cities. It is apparently noth- ing more than part of an organized political attack upon President Wilson thru the league of nations.
 Even taking his definition of the league, one fails to find much to object to. If the league is what he named it, it is what the people of the world want and have been seek ing for ages. In his Seattle address, Senator Poindexter called the league league to en- force peace"
 If it will accomplish this end, one fails to find anything objectionable in it. Since the dawn of civilization, idealsts have sought to discover some means, to create some agency, to prevent wars. It was for this very purpose that the European scheme of the balance of powers" was evolved from years of experimentation. Diplomats hailed it as sure preventative of war. But the great war just ending proved that the balance of power idea was founded on injustices which in themselves would sooner or later provoke just such conflicts as it sought to cure. The theories of European diplomats were com pletely broken down by the war. And they had nothing to take its place.
 Out of the realm of the ideal, President Wilson has brot the league of nations idea Practically unsupported, he has succeeded in having it adopted by Europe and almost the entire world. That which other people be- lieved an idle dream, delightful in prospect but impractical, he has made practical and accomplished the seemingly impossible in so doing.
 And for political purposes, Senator Poin- dexter with other members of his party, is trying to defeat the league of nations in the United States in order to bring discredit upon the President and the party which he leads. Apparently it makes no difference to these men that the whole world needs the United States, the moral strength of the American nation, the support of its liberty loving people in making this league of nations the basis for its future happiness and prosperity. What, to them, is the freedom of the small nations of the world, the right of all people of the world to attain greater independence and greater personal freedom and national secur- ity than was ever before possible? Apparent AAOu'AS II AS ID AOI SOAAASs IO VI SSAI future political success to the republican party, to the leadership of which number of these hostile politicians are now aspiring.
 Senator Poindexter's main objection to the league of nations is that it will require the United States to observe certain rules which other nations must also respect That these rules are to be established by common agreement among the nations of the world for the sole purpose of keeping the peace of the world intact makes no appeal to him. Now that there have been provisions made for respecting the Monroe Doctrine the repub- lican objectors have no other ground for their of criticism.
 He makes bugaboo out of the injury which might be done to America if she has to abide by such rules as may be agreed upon. He does not take into consideration the fact that there is nothing in the league of nations covenant which forbids any nation from mak-