New-York tribune., 1919-05-27
from Encyclopaedia Britain
a and Statesman's Year Book.
"Steped in Barbarism"


"From the foregoing table it appears
thaht when the members of the league
of nations meet about the council ia
bic there will be fifteen men repre-
senting white nations and seventeen
men representing black brown, yell
low and red races; and that among
the nations classified as dark the av-
erage of the dark skinned people com
pared with the total population is
nearly nine to one. 1t is also shown
that among these races the degree of
illiteracy is astonishingly high. Where
figures are available the percentage
runs from nearly so per cent in Cuba
to SO per cent in Liberia. The aver
age is about IS per cent. Thus we not
only bring to the council board races
which are dark skinner, but also those
so low in civilization that they con-
AS | shall later show, they are the
victims Of superstitution and are
stepped in barbarism.
Even among the white races that
are to sit in the council of the world
and determine the fate of America,
we find nations so backward as to
raise a serious question regarding their
ability to perform the functions of civ
llized government. Witness Serbia, 81
per cent Of whose people cannot read
or write; Portugal, with 68 per cent of
illiteracy; Rumania, with Al per cent,
and Greece, with 81 per cent. To the
votes of a tribunal thus constituted it
is proposed to submit for final de-
cision questions which may involve
the life of the United States. By their
their decision subjected to wrongs of
the most grievous character: by their
decree the fate of the world may be
determined.
Voting Strength the Same
Let US now go little more in detail
and examine the character Of these new
governors Of the world. That examina-
ton will disclose that in large part
they have in the past been unable to
maintain anything approaching de-
cent or a civilized government. Indeed,
many Of them could not have existed
except as wards protected By the
United States or other civilized nations.
In this connection notice that the
United States with it's population of
110,0o0,000 is given no greater voting
strength than the smallest of the ma
tions concerned
"The population of Japan is 56,860.-
600. Notwithstanding all that may be
claimed to the contrary this country is
not only monarchy. bat it is a
monarchy exercising tyranny over
mind and body. For more than 1000
years the reigning mouse of Japan has
held undisputed sway The recent
slight changes in its government are
merely on the surface. The Japencse e
citizen remains unchanged.
Questions for Senators
81 now put two questions to two
classes of American Senator's:
CT How will Senators from the South
who represent states which have
contendcd that the white race alone
IS mt to control the destiny of the
states Of America, who have, there
fore, contended that the black man
OF the South should not be permitted
to cast his individual ballot to be
counted against the ballot of the
white man, contend that Liberia.
Hayti and other negro or semi-negro
rations should be permitted to sit
at the council table Of the world and
each cast votes the equal of that Of
the United States?
80 How can the Representatives of
Pacific states, who have CON
tended and who still contend that