The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-03

Ever since the war began in Europe
 in 1914, our ears have been vexed by
 the wild cries of the opposition, pro
 claiming a superior brand of patriot
 ism, and now at the very first sign of
 a return to partial authority, the leaders of the Republican party in the
 House of Representative have se
 lected for floor leader, Congressman
 Monden of Wyoming, who voted
 against the tabling of the McLemore
 resolution and opposed the Sel2ctive
 Draft Law. Senator Penrose is to be
 chairman of the great Senate Commit
 tee of Finance and. the reactonaries
 are dictating the policy of the party.
 Fordney of Michigan, who voted
 against the tabling of the McLemorc
 resolution, is to be chairman of the
 great committee on Ways and Means.
 Porter of Pennsylvania, who voted
 for the Cooper amendment to prevent
 the arning of merchant ships at the
 time submarine attacks were an all
 most daily occurrence, is to be chair
 man of the Committee on Foreign
 Affairs. Esch of Wisconsin, who
 voted against war, against tabling the
 McLemore amendment and against
 arming merchant ships, is to be chair
 man of the Committee on Interstate
 ana Foreign Commerce. Haugen of
 Iowa, who voted against war and
 against tabling the McLemore resolu-
 ton, and against the Espionage Bill,
 and who tried to kill the Food Survey
 Bill, is rewarded by the chairmanship
 of the Committee on Agriculture. Campbell of Kansas, who voted against the Food Survey Bill. the i Espionage Act, and the arming of merchant ships, is to be chairman of
 the great Committee on Rules. Good
 of Iowa, who voted wrong on the Me Lemore resolution, and against arm ing merchant ships. is to have the chairmanship of the Committee on appropriations. And the well known William Mason of Illinois, who voted against war, against the draft, against | the Espionage Bill, and whose public | utterances are even more offensive than his votes, is, by a curious kind l of irony, to be found on the Com | mittee on Foreign Affairs. It is a 1 pitiful conclusion to campaign l based upon such ardent promises. u | is an extraordinary thing that those l who were Ioudest for war seem now 1 to be most determined that America shall reIinquish the duties which have
 
 war. During the progress of the con- flict, how often did we hear upon the lips of all our people the ex- | pression this must be the last war; ] What heart is there so cold that 1t | does not warm to such a cause? Who
 will confess that his ardor has been | so chilled that he is willing that | America should become a stacker ma | ton and attempt to draw back, with l the task unfinished, into the fancied
 security of self-isolation?
 There are some who solemnly as
 sert that the league would not only | embron us in the affairs of Europe | but would force America into future wars. It is extraordinary that men l should waste our time and vex our l patience by suggesting the fear that ] we may be forced into future wars,
 while forgetting entirely that America
 was forced into this war and that thls
 war has not yet been concluded. No | League of Peace was in existence | when this war began; no League of l Peace existed when we entered this | greatest of all wars and 1t was only | when We formed in haste a League | of Nations, under unified command, | that we were able to win this war. | The United States and the Allies | have, in fact. been operating since 1 America, entered the war. under a sort l of League of Friendship, born of war and held together by the necessity Of realizing common hopes and mutual | ideals. This association of nations. | held together by a common purpose, | fought the war to a victorious con clusioni and it is the same League | of Friendship which dictated the | terms of the world peace. If such a result can be achieved by an informal ' and temporary association of this
 character. why should it not be con