The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-09-17
LEAGUE FULFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says Democra.
cieS Replaced Autocracies
at Our Bidding.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHIEF,
Urges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty Will Collapse
Without League of
Nations,

Herbert Hoover is so deeply con-
cerned over the opposition to the
League of Nations in the United
States that he has let himself be in
teryiewed at length on the League sit
uation. In a talk with the New York
Times correspondent in Paris, the
Food Administration Chief asserts that
having caused the League idea to pre-
vail America cannot abandon it. We
cannot withdraw, he says, and leave
Europe to chaos "To abandon the
League Covenant now means that the
treaty itself will collapse"
Mr.. Hoover's wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad,
his reputation as an administrator, a
man of great affairs who deals with
facts, not theories, make his state.
ment one of the most important con-
tributions to,the recent League discus
sions.
- ''Tiiere' are one'tr two points in con-
nection with the present treaty" said
Mr.. Hoover, ''that need careful consid-
Grafton by the American public. We
need to digest the fact that we have
for a century and a half been advo-
eating democracy not only as a
remedy for the internal ills of all So
ciety, but also as the only real safe
guard against war. We have believed
and proclaimed, in season and out,
that a world in which there was a
free expression and enforcement of
the will of the majority was the real
basis of government, was essential for
the advancement of civilization, and
| that we have proved its enormous hui
man benefits in our country.
American Ideas Have Prevailed.
| 'We went into the war to destroy
autocracy as a menace to our own and
! all other democracies. If we had not
come into the war every inch of Euro
pean soil today would be under auto
cratic government. We have imposed
our will on the world. Out of this
victory has come the destruction OF
the four great autocracies in Ger
many, Russia, Turkey and Austria and
the little autocracy in Greece. New
| democracies have sprung into being il
Poland, Finland, Letvia, Lithuania
Esthcnia, Czechoslovakia, Create
Serbia, Greece, Siberia, and even Ger
| many and Austria have established
| democratic governments. Beyon,
| these host of small republics, sucl
as Armenia. Georgia, AZerbaijan ant
others, have sprung up, and again a
a result of this great world movemen
the constitutions of Spain, Rumania
aud even England, have made fina
ascent to complete franchise and dc
mocracy, although they still maintai
a symbol of royalty.
1--WE have been the living spring 70
this last century and half from whic
these ideas have sprung, and we hav
triGmphed. The world today, excep
for a comparatively few reactionar
/ and communistic autocracies, is den
ocratic, and we did it.
r "a man who takes a wife an
/ blesses the world with several infant
cannot go away and leave them o
n the claim that there was no legal ma
), riage
These infant democracies all hav
o political, social and economic prol
i. lens Involving their neighbors the
:. are fraught with the most intens
Y friction. There are no natural bount
: aries in Europe Races are not con
Z pact; they blend at every border. The
need railway communication and Sc
y outlets through their neighbors' teri
9 tory.
MANY of these states must for tt
next few years struggle almost f
bare bones to maintain their yer
existence. Every one of them is &
ing TO do its best; to protect its ow
, interests, even to the prejudice of i
neighbors.
, Governments Lack Experience.
t eve in America should realize TIL