The Irish standard., 1919-03-15
BLESSED BE, NOT THE COMPLAINING
TONGUE, BUT THE AMENDING
HAND"

Something in the nature of an international plan
tor the prevention of future wars is to be evolved
out OF the CESSATION of the Peace Conference at
far1s: Some pesslmlstlc observers watching the
aborlng mountain in the belief or perhaps the hope
that the issue will be the proverbial ridiculous
mouse, or that there will be no issue at ALL
Many OF our American senators have already
ranged themselves in opposition to the proposed
constitution OF the league it now stands and have
entered upon country-w campaign to arouse
hostility toward it among the people. Senators
Borah, Lodge, Reed, Sherman, Knox and Cummins
are among those who to lead the negative side
OF the debate, while President Taft President
Lowell of Harvard University, Senator Hitchcock
and Senator Lewis will figure prominently in the
affirmative OF the proposition, in which they WILL of
course be backed by the political forces of the
administration.
Though VIM. Vile Hays, the chairman of the Re-
publican national committee has declared that no
political capital should be sought to be obtained
from the discussion of the adoption or rejection of
the league it will hardly be expected that
the veteran politicians in either of the two great
political parties will Fundamentally follow this ex-
cellent counsel. To withstand the temptation that
the issue presents to those who are at all times
deeply involved IN the political game would require
Spartan sense of obligation and resolve what we
tear is an 1rrldescent dream" The presidential
contest OF 92O is too close at hand to permit of such
discussion minus the potential effects of the same
on the forthcoming mayor struggle of the parties
Though it would be desirable to have the league
issue threshed out on its intrinsic merits and d.
vorced from consideration of it's effects on the for
tunes of the party candidates for office in this and in
the coming years such an ideal is hardly within the
range of possibility.
Indeed in the opinion of many pubcists such
an alignment OF contending forces constitutes the
stimulus that brings out the best "stuf' that is
latent on each side of the contest. A lawsuit in
court for example would not be as ably and ceverly
tried out when the opposing counsel were animated
solely by the prospect of merely academic or pro-
fess1onal victory as when there is the additional
stimulus Of substantial gains for their clients and
coTres pc augmented fees for themselves
In the league discussion, it may not be antici-
pated that the views expressed by the political lead
ers will not partake somewhat of the complexion of
the party to which they may belong and due allow
ance should be made therefore in accepting their
arguments and conclusions. But the question is of
such colossal dimensions, so high, so wide, and so
deep that Of itself it tends put partysm in the
background 1t is distinct and positive innovation
in our political and economic life, involving the
most radical departure from our national policies
and traditions that has ever been proposed to our
cltlzenry Its discussion, even, and the concomtant
effort that must be made by every person who en-
beavers to apprehend ntelligenty the scope of its