The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-07

ton of the peace treaty. OF course, it is
not claimed that there is a unanimous
sentiment on the part of church people,
the ministry and the laity, for the
league of nations. There are many who
see only the imperfections of the plan
rather than the great underlying prin-
ciples on which there is a chance to
build world peace. There are some who
believe that we should rather await
the building of a perfect plan than to
accept one that does not provide against
every possible cause of war. And
there are some who cannot believe that
1t is possible to bring peace to a world
and who would prefer not to make the
attempt until men everywhere have
come to see that war is evil. But think
that none will call in question the
statement that the church sentiment
of America support the league of ma
tons and is for the early ratificat ton
Of the peace treaty. Why is 1t thus?
1t is not because the church senti-
ment of America declares against all
war 1t is matter of common knowl-
edge that the churches were practi-
cally unit in support of the govern
ment during the days of war. There
were here and there Considerations OBJ
iectors'' who based their protest
against military service on the ground
of religious convictions, but pract1-
rallv all of these were of churches of
such small membership as hardly to
count in the census of religious bodies.
The ministers of the country carried
to the people, by public appeal as well
as privately, every call of the govern
ment for patriotic service-the calls
to economic, to give, and to serve.
other agencies were used for this work
but the men at Washington made their
appeals to the churches and the minis
try from the beginning. And they
were not disappointed in their expec-
tation that fine church would prove
it's loyalty in the hour of the nations
need. And as the records bear wit
ness, the church population of the
country gave a larger percentage of its
total to military service than did the
non church population. The church
has never failed to give of its best to
the nation in the days of war.
There are other reasons for this
overwhelming sentiment for ratifica-
ton of the league of nations plan. AS
the address above quoted declares:
1.-THE war was waged by the army of
the United States on documents that
strongly advocated the adoption of
such an international agreement" And
the war ended in acceptance of princi-
pies which included the promise of
some such agreement We must keep
faith, both with our men who DIED
and our men who in spirit gave all TO
great cause. We must keep faiI
with the people-at home who served and
suffered and did all of this willingly
because it was to help bring in day
when war would be impossible. We
must keep faith with other nations
of the earth-with our allies and even
with our enemies. The church sehti-
ment of the country demands that the
nation keep faith with the world. we
could not, in the peace document get
all that we wanted, not all we stood
for, in the days of war, but our repre-
sentatives did their best, and it is more
nearly such document as we wanted
since our representatives were there
to help frame it. What is the righteous
| thing to do? Stand by your pledged
word and taking that league of nations
plan which is at least far better than
no agreement; go in with good faith
and with the purpose to make it strong
| er and better. To stand outside is
/, both to play the part of critic wnen
| constructive work is needed and to
repudiate obligations that cannot be
| thrown over If we hold our place or
| moral leadership in the world.
But there is another reason why the
church sentiment of the country de-
mands ratification and the adoption or
| the league of nations. There has come
| to America the chance to prove her
| real greatness in service to the world
| 1t is the biggest chance that has ever
| come to any nation to prove that the
| teachings of the word of God can be
| practically applied-that nations, as is
| tAue of individuals-cannot live unto
| themselves; that to serve is better than
| to rule There are many who would
! advocate the policy of selfishness for
| the nation as for the individual, and
stand for that as safety measure.
But if the word of God be true, if Jesus
Christ be the truth, the way of safety
| and the way of service are one Presi-
| dent Wilson never spoke more in the
spirit of a prophet of the truth when
| in that address delivered on the eve
| of his departure the second time for
| Europe he said: Some are asking is
f! it not dangerous for America to help
| the world?v 1 answer it will be fatal
| for America not to help the world"
And he spoke with the authority of the
| eternal truth when he announced that
great principle
/, The league of nations is not all that
we would like to have. But is is not
| only the best we have, but it is far
better than to have nothing. We can
repudiate our obligations; we can
live to ourselves and for ourselves,
| and leave the rest of the world to its
| fate. We can make safety first the
doctrine of our national life But If
the word of the Master be true, "he
that saveth his life will lose it." 1t is
| for> the real safety of America that
the church sentiment of the nation asks
| for the acceptance by the senate of
our national obligations
There are, of course, other consid-
| erations that enter into this convic-
| ton that the treaty be ratified. The
need for stable business conditions,
which cannot come except with peace;
| the demand that the financial resources
be brought into use for the national
reconstruction of devastated lands; the
calls that come for constructive legisla-
ton dealing with economic and social
ills; all these strengthen the demand
for early action. And that real menace
to world peace-the spirit of unrest,
| of dissatisfaction, of revolution-calls
for political leadership that finds its
inspiration in mething worthier than
craftsmanship. All of these but make
| their contributions to the clarifying of
! the fundamental issue-shall America
! be missionary or missionary in
spirit and in national ideals?.