Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-03-04


so much about conserving traditions
Or. collecting revenues as about keep
ing alive those great ideals for which
the war has been fought at such an
appalling cost in human life This
is the other path. We must make our
choice. And we must make it now.
France waits. England waits; all
Europe waits and the world waits for
America to make her choice. Every
where it is said, "Unless America is
in the League of Nations there will be
no league" And that means war and
more war.
But what does this League of Ma
tons propose? I suspect that ninety
otu of every one hundred Americans
have not taken the trouble to read
this document carefully, as it has
come from the committee at Paris.
1t must be confessed that couched
in cumbersome diplomatic language
the old world it is rather tedious read
ing, but neither its provisions nor
purposes are difficult to understand.
The first purpose of the League of
Nation Is the prevention of war. Re
garding the matter Of war, there are
certain definite covenants into whic'
the nations Of the League enter, the
first of which is this: If two nations
have differences which might ordin-
arily lead to war, they are under
covenant, instead of going to war, to
submit their case to a committee of
selected by the two ma
tions, independently of the league. If
"a decision is rendered by this COM
nittee on arbitration the nations in
volved must abide by that decision.
However, from the beginning the two
nations may waive the privilege of
arbitration and carry the case to the
executive committee of the League,
this executive committee being per-
|manently made up of nine members
one each for England, France, Ameri-
ca, Japan and Italy, and four mem
bers agreed upon by the smaller pow
ers who may be members of the lea
que. If contestants submit to this
Council, its decision is binding.
The second covenant is that No
member will begin war until three
months after decision has been rem
ldered by a committee on arbitration
or the executive council, which ir
most cases would be year after the
difficulty.
The third covenant is that, in case
nation refuses to refer difficulty II
either arbitration or executive council
or having referred the matter to eth
er of these, begins war before three
months after decision, every nation il
the league is required to cut of all re
lations with that nation, to Withdraw
ambassadors, to refuse food, raw ma
terial, and establish an economic boy
colt, and even to demand Of nation
adjacent to the offending nation to d,
the same, though these may not b
members Of the league. Having en-
Itered into this covenant, not the lea
que, but each country in the league
Through its congress or parliamen
upon being advised Of the violation
authorizes the boycott.
If the boycott does not do the worl
the league may suggest to each mem
lber thereof the number Of soldiers
ships and amount of munitions whicl
lit thinks advisable to be used in
common movement upon the OUTLAY
nation. Compliance with this sug
lgestion is optional with each natior
The league cannot compel the fun
nishing Of men or ships.
! It win be seen, therefore, that tw
remedies are proposed to prevent wa
arbitration and reference to execu
tive council Of the League, and tw'
remedies to cure war-the boycott
and the voluntary army Of the league
The second purpose Of the League
is the assistance of small nations to
ward self-determination, under thu
lsystem called mandatories. It pro
poses the development Of territorie.
as the German colonies Of Africa, Ar
|rnenia, or Arabia under the care Of
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