The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-06-11
The Worlds Next Step
NO.>s
What Ia Our Duty in Connection With
the League Of Nations?
BY CLARENCE L. spErn

tionsF' you way ask. "Nhat have I
got to do with this big world question?
WIN any action ,oIhWy part have any
influence on The laxges that are now
settling the ticstinfdAo of the worl1?"
Every citizen oflth& United States
has duty tS1Rerfoin how, in connec-
ton with the league ofAations, just
as urgent Is he had whefisNc were at
war You n not hesitate b do yonr
bart then x#sbecaase you Sere only
one of Il hufdred million ana on the
theory that any little saving 6r,invest-
ing or working thar you could do
would have little. effect toward de
feating Germany.
Every individual citizen is represent
ed in Washington by senator. You
may not know him; may never have
seen him. Nevertheless he has some
respect for your opinions; he wishes
TO win your vote once more If he did
not respect the opinions of his con-
stituents he would be queer person,
for he is sent to Washington to carry
out the wishes of the majority of the
voters.
Now the United states senate is the
body which has the power to ratify or
reject treaties. The British premier
has promised to submit the peace
treaty to parliament for its approval,
too; but he has just had an election
and knows where parliament stands.
When the representatives Of all or
most of the other nations sign the
treaty of peace. that is all that is nee.
essary. 1t then becomes operative.
But America will not be at peace
with Germany nor will it be men,
Der of the league of nations until the
senate has ratified the treaty. If the
senate should refuse to ratify it, we
would then be in the position of being
at war when all the remainder of the
world was at peace, and of being out
side of league of nations which en-
braced most of the other important
countries.
Is it possible" you may ask, "that
the senate could fail to ratify treaty
and thus leave US out in the cold? Are
we ready to stand alone in this fed
Grated world? Can we assume the
role of China and build wall of eX-
cIusiveness around ns?"
Looked at in That light it does not
seem possible; yet when one listens to
the speeches made daily in the senate
it does seem as though many senators
are far from ready to vote for the
treaty which contains Il provision for
a league OF nations. They may believe
that they are backed by the voters. 1t
is our duty as voters to let them know
whether they are carrying out our
wishes or not.
In this series of articles there has
been no attempt to present an argu-
anent that the constitution of the
league of nations as it stands is per.
feet document. There very likely is
room for many improvements. If
there We're not, it would be an excep-
ton to every other constitution ever
adopted.
Conditions may arise decade or
century from now OF which we can
have no conception at this time, any
more than tine trainers of the Ameri-
can Constitution could have forcseen
the developments of today.
But there can be no doubt that the
world, as whole. now disapproves of
war and denies the necessity for war;
and that the league of nations rs now
proposed is Il sincere effort to do away
with the danger of war.
There is every reason to believe that
it stands more than fair chance of
succeeding, while it is so drawn as to
present few If any perils that we have
not always had with us if it fails to
succeed.
The constitution of the league does
not prevent the United States from
doing anything it wants to do, for the
reason that the United States has no
designs ON the property of its neigh.
gbors. 1t does not impose any new bur.
dens upon us comparable with the war
debt which has just been heaped on us
through no fault or desire of our own.
The league may call upon the United
otutSS w wv itS i"it IA soNSiiiiiS SUNK
Of the backward portions of the globe
~, ~ s,oa,hey are. ready to govern Them
.s,ns. is is may entail somesexpense.
SnGsssibly some small loss
SIts2S. in the case of
Nnrapg in com.