Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-18

alone is sufficient to damn the lea
que covenant forever in the eyes of
everyone who really wishes to see
step taken in the direction Of fu-
ture peace.
r. cle II is nothing more or less
than an automatic declaration of war
for every member of the league. It's
opening sentence reads as follows:
"Any war or threat of war, whether
Immediately affecting any of the
members of the league or not, is
hereby declared matter of concern
to the whole league" Under this
provision the United States, if
member, Immediately becomes involv-
ed in every war of the future, no
matter how remote from our own
shores, regardless of our relation
with the parties to the dispute, or
our desire to remain at peace. Our
soldiers and sailors, to all intenys
and purposes, automatically 'ecome
hirelings of the league subject to
orders to proceed to the scene of
bloodshed and fight against the
country that the council may deem
to be in the wrong. Do you want
this mission? What becomes of the
"league-for-peace" cry in the light
of this article?
Article IL includes an agreement
by member nations to submit to ar
bitration or to the council any dis
pute in which they may be involved,
and not to resort to war until three
months after the award by the arbi-
traitors or the report of the council
1t is provided that in such cases the
arbitrators shall submit their award
within reasonable time" and the
council within six months" Sup
pose the dispute had been submitted
to the council, then period of nine
months many elapse before a nation
is permitted to vindicate its rights
by force Of arms. Meanwhile it must
stand idly by and witness perhaps
the destruction of it's civilization, the
murder of it's nationals, and the over
throw of its government. This pro-
vision is really prohibition against
the establishment of peace. If you
find your family menaced by gang
of thugs you are prevented from
raising finger in protest until th
matter has been thoroughly thrash
ed out by regularly constituted
1 board lef umpires. Is that a theory
you wish to see applied to the Unit
ed States, in it's dealings with
Mexico, for instance? Article IL is
an insurance of war rather than g
step toward peace.
Article IS, like the provisions thai
precede it, contemplates war, bu
under different circumstances. Aftel
providing for the reference of dis
putes to arbitration and the award
of the arbitrators, the Article reads
'In the event of any failure to carr!
out such an award, the council shal
propose what steps should be takel
to give effect thereto" The ominou
meaning of that declaration is appar
ent. The nation that declines t
abide by the decision of a council
stacked eight to one against it, i
to feel the full force of such "steps
i as the council may prescribe. L
other words, war will be wage
against the disobedient nation unit
!, it is wiling to subjugate itself to tn
, will of the league. Here, agar
we have war, not peace, with tn
| United States inevitably involved
it shall be membre of the league.
Article Ia stipulates that tn
: council shall formulate "plans fo
, the establishment of a permanen
court of international justice" In
. asmuch as the council, the secretaria
: and the assembly are dominated b
England, it is not difficult to forecas
the complexion of the court. Will
) it is not mandaory for a nation
submit it's disputes to that particu
lar court, the inference is plain tina
such reference is expected.Artici
, IA does not have the elements @
frictionin it possessed by most of tn
other sections of the covenant, bu
; it is easy to see that disagreement
; and misunderstanding liable to lea
, to open rupture, may arise from tn
judgments of such court.
Article Is is the section that pre-
tends to reserve so-called domesti
$ questions for determination by tn
nation concerned, free from inte,
ference by the league. This is the ar
, Gle under which England will reserV
! to herself the determination of tn
Irish problem. Insurrection an
bloodshed may run rampant in Ire
: land for all that the league of ne
tions will do to prevent it. Like
wise, revolution may disrupt ever
country on the face of the globe be
fore the league will step in with it
courts of arbitration, council, assen
bly,, and other machinery for "peace
= to bring about a cessation of til
= Aarnaae. The inconsistency of tf
league as an agent for peace is col
, clusively demonstrated by this art
:. Gle. Members of the same nations
:, family may murder each other wit
= impunity, but let one of them sho
somebody on the other side of Il
y y border ,and the league awakes to tt
" fact that there is trouble brewir
y. for humanity and fuses about
- find a remedy.