The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-09-04
Purpose Of the League.

wv eSOAOOs
The chief purpose Of the League of
Nations 10 to keep the world in q
state Of peace. Another way Of ex,
pressing it 10 to say that the league
u designed to prevent wars.
We have Just finished the greatest.
which IL to say the most horrible, Of
all conflicts between nations. We
have won q glorious victory. But that
victory will be wasted unless this war
has made the nations ready to
put aside their differences and co.
operate to end war forever.
1t 10 not enough, however, to pro.
vide for the prevention Of wars and
the settlement Of disputes after they
have arisen. We must foreses causes
Of trouble and remove them before
they have reached an acute stage.
Hence there must be provision for fire.
Quent consultations Of members Of the
league for exchange Of information,
for agreement o. common policies and
for the gradual formation Of rules Of
international law which at present are
uncertain and incomplete.
The representatives Of the great
free nations which won the war have
met at Paris and. after long consulta.
ton. have drawn an agreement which
they believe will accomplish these
ends. At the very least 1t will set in
motion great changes which will re-
suit in universal benefit to all man
kind. This agreement is called the
Covenant Of the League Of Nations
and it 10 a part Of the peace treaty.
There will b no league worth talk
ing about. however, unless the United
States is a member. The decision az
to whether the United States shall
Join rests with our Senate. The Sena-
tors. chosen by the people. will in the
end vote a. the people desire. For
this reason the people themselves will
decide whether or not the United
States will Join the league. In this
question every citizen should have q
voice. he or she can express opinion
either by writing direct to Senators.
by letters to the newspapers, by
speeches in his lodge or local union or
In conversation with friends.
Methods Of Maintaining Peaes.
Since the prime object Of the
League Of Nations IL to preserve peace
and to reap the benefits Of peace
let u see how the league will operate
TO accomplish that purpose.
In the drst place 1t will seek to re-
move the main causes Of war. BY the
formation Of an international court It
VIII create q mean for the peaceful
settlement Of disputes between ma.
lions. Then It will seek to compel the
nations to make use Of this court.
This IL nothing more nor less than an
application Of the rules ana customs
governing private individuals in civil
lied communities to the relations be-
tween nations.
Secondly, the League will seek 10 rs-
move . great temptation to war BY
the general agreement to reduce the
size OF armies and naviss. This will
halt the race for military and naval
SUPREMACY which was largely respon.
sibls for the war Just ended. The
0I0V00t VI 0SW03A0V14S O0S 00SA0SA Wo1
maintaia viii b strictly defined.
Thus It viii hs impossible for one
eouaty 70 evsrwhelm it, nsighbor by
unexpected attack, In the way that
Germany crushed Belgium and would
have crushed France had not the other
democratic nations gone to her aid. The
idea IL that each country may keep
an army and navy large enough to en-
able it to fulfil ito responsibilities ~
q member Of the League, but no larger.
The United States, for example. prob
ably would bs expected to keep .
check on Mexico and the state Of con
stant turmoil in that country would bs
taken into consideration In deciding
how large IN army We should need.
The third important safeguard
which The League will set up 10 q sys-
TEN Of penalties. This Will make an
outlaw Of any nation or group Of aa-
items which goes to war In violation
q the rules Of the Lsasue. The ssA-