Imperial Valley press., 1919-06-21

ward the league and would therefore
have Germany admitted to it as an easier
means Of controlling her; and there are
also those who lean away from it, oppose
it and see in this possibility of q competing
uiOn OF states a reason for not adopting
the covenant at all
This latter class is 8 generic one. II
Includes all those persons who condemn
good things because they may have some
difficulty in the way Of their attainment
Carrying their philosophy to it's logical
conclusion would have thrown Watts dis
coveTy Of steam power into the discard be-
cause it was possible that steam boilers
might explode, as they have since explod-
ed and destroy lives. It would have called
Fulton q fool and the WIights irresDonei-
bic because steam navigation Of the seas
has been attended with ship-WreclLs and
air conquest has been q costly process.
Of course q league Of nations will be
hedgcd round with all sorts Of troubles at
the outset, and Of course il will have al
ways to be on the alert to nip in the bud
any effort OF a rival group that may over
throw the peace Of the world. To be sure,
# Germany is left outside she will try to
build Up machine Of her own. But no one
IS thinking seriously Of leaving Germany
permanently outside, as far as can be
learned. There are those who believe she
shOhuld go through q period Of penance be-
fore being admitted and that if she is ad-
mit,ed it should be conditi0nalIy on her
behavior as becomes a member Of the
league and an associate Of the great pow
ers who have recently soundly thlashed
her
But even Of this We're not true and it
were being contemplated that the land Of
the Huns should be octracized for good,
the league being q means TO keen her in
her proper place-thore would still be less
cause for worry over what she might do
than there was five years ago when the
rest Of the world was resting in false Sc
cuIity.
1t must be doubted strongly that any
large territory that is not willing and anx-
iOus to enter unless it be Russia-and
Russia is factor that does not fit readily
into any proposed arrangement thus far.
now proposed. To do 50 would be practical
suicide fer them, because there is not one
of The present neutral nations would ad-
here to the Germans against the combine
that is ready to enter the league Of nao.ens
though it may be said The league is appa1-
emily more nearly the correct solution
there as well as elsewhere.
There is q possibility that chastened
Germany, seriously and sincerely trying
to do the right thing by the world might
% or 80 years from now arouse The SYM
pathy of enough other peoples to SET her
self up as a rival to the entente league But
when that time and disposition arises the
league doors viii be automatically open to
the Germans, for they viii have become
qualified for admission. In the meantime
German military and naval power curtai-
ed by the treaty conditions she viii have
very little assurance to offer any allies
she may enlist outside the league that
there is a chance for a successful attempt
to overthrow it.
Altogether the objections raised on
this point seem to be q nightmare. The
whole question is not one Of the safety Of
the league at all, but just what course is
best to follow to wipe out traces Of Prus-
sianism from the world, to sink without q
trace the spirit Of HohenZ0IleTnism that
still exists in Germany. There are more
who think it should be purged away by q
rigorous treatment than believe it can be
coaXod out by soft treatment.
r,rv7, yzOO OF, Or,~-