The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-06-18
The Worlds Next Step
NO. q
What IA Our Duty in Connection With
the League of Nations?

tions?" you may ask. "Whnt hnvs !
got to do with this big world question?
VIII any action on my part have any
Influence on the forces that are now
settling the destinies Of the Worll?"
Every citizen Of the United states
mas h duty to perform now, in connec-
ton with the League of nations, lust
as urgent rs he had when we were at
war. You did not hesitate to do your
part then just because you were only
one Of a hundred million and On the
theory that aiy little saving or invest
Ing or working that you could do
would have little effect toward de-
feating Germany. :.
Every individual citizen Is represent
ed In Washington by a 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 it's 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 ofspeace, that is all that is nee
essary. Ut then becomes operative.
But America will not be at peace
with4Germany nor will it be MEM
Der Of the league of nations until the
senate has ratified the treaty. IL the
senate should refuse to ratify it, we
wonld then be in the position of being
ut 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.
D us it possible" you may ask, that
the senate could fail to ratify a 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-
clusiveness around us?".
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 provision for
a league OF nations. They may believe
that they are backed by the voters. It
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 argyll
4nent 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 were not, it would be an excep-
ton to every other constitution ever
adopted.
Conditions may arise a decade or
century from now of which we can
have no conception at this time, any
more than the trainers of the Ameri
can Constitution could have foreseen
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 as now
proposed is sincere effortto do away
$500, d 81 a sN of war.
- ..aSHy re9gaa TO believe that
Aan fair chance of
is so drawn as to
perils that we have
h us if it fails to
the league does
ed States from
to do, for the
tates has no
If its neigh
v new bur.
b the war
sd on us
own.
knited
some
lobe
Gm-