Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-09-04

uetnOcrecy, as q stnDie form OF govern.
ment as We know u. Is possible only
with highly edncated populations and
q large force OF men who are capable
OF government Few Of the men who
compose these governments have had
any actual experience at governing
and their populations are woefully o.
literate.
"They win require q generation of
actual national life In peace 20 de-
velop free education and skill In GOV.
ernment.
Unless these countries have q guild.
Ing hand and referee I'm their quarrels.
q court OF appeals for their wroHgs
this Europe will 90 back 70 chaos.
IL there In such an institution, Fep.
resenting the public opinion Of the
world. and able to exert its authority.
they win grow into stability. We can
not turn back now.
There 10 another point which also
needs emphasia World treaties hlth-
erto have always been based on the
theory OF balance Of power. Strong
or races have been set up to dominate
the weaker, partly with q view 90
maintaining stability and 20 a greater
degree with a view to maintaining oc-
cupations and positions Cor the re-
actlonaries Of the world.
'The balance of power is born OF
armies and navies. arlstocracles,
autocracies. and reactionaries general
ly. who can find employment and
domination In these institutions, and
treaties founded on this basis have
established stability after each great
war for a shorter or longer time. but
never more than q generation.
america came forward with a new
idea, and we insisted uppp. its injec-
ton into this peace conference. We
claimed that II was possible 10 set
up such n piece Of machinery with
such authority that the balance Of
power could be abandoned as n relic
Of the middle ages We compelled an
entire construction of this treaty and
every word and line I'm it 10 bend 20
this idea.
Outside Of the League Of Nations
the treaty itself has many deficiencies.
II represents compromises between
many men and between many selfish
interests. and these very compromises
aud deficiencies are multiplied by the
many new nations that have entered
upon rs signature. and the very safety
OF the treaty itself lies In a court of
appeal for the remedy Of wrongs In
the treaty.
Benefits ef the League.
"Ohe thing Is certain. There is no
body Of human beings 30 wise that q
treaty could be made that would not
develop injustice and prove 10 have
Deen wrong IN some particulars. As
The covenant stands today there is o
place nj which redress can be found
and through which the goodwill Of
the world can be enforced The very
machinery by which the treaty is 10
he executed. and scores OF points yet
TO be solved, which have been referred
Ia the League OF Nations as q method
OF securing more mature Judgment In
q less heated atmosphere. justlfIes the
creation OF the League.
ITO abandon the covenant now
means that the treaty Itself viii col
lapse.
.It would take the exposure Of but
q few documents at my hand TO prove
that I had been the most reluctant of
Americans to become involved In this
situation In Europe. But having gone
In with our eyes open and with a de-
termination TO free ourselves and the
rest OF the world from the dangers
that surrounded us, we cannot now
pull back from the Job. II II no use
TO hold q great revival and then go
away leaving a church for continued
services half done.
I'VE have succeeded In O most ex-
traor6inary degree In imposing upon
Europe the complete conviction that
we are absolutely disinterested. The
consequence Is that there In scarcely
a man, woman or child who can read
In Europe that does not look 60 the
United States ag the ultimate source
from which they must receive assur.
ances and guardianship In the liberties
which they have now secured after
30 many generations Of struggle. !.
This In not a problem Of protecting
the big nations, for the few that re-.
main can well Iook after themselves.
What we have done is to set up
annwa <.R RGeeIa stag,.oarocfam and 40 ehx.
American people could visualize their
handiwork they would insist with the
same determination that they did In
loI7 that our goyernmeEt proceed"