The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-10


!. sho1id he dome New states we're 10
De set up which could not hope 70
tive through heir first period Of weak
ness without ASSURED support by the
great nations that had consented 10
their creation and won for them their
Independence ulEoverne6 colonies
co1l6 not be put IN the hands OF gov
srEEaeEgs which we're TO act Is trtis-
tees for their people and not IS their
masters Il there wzs 10 De no common
authority among the nations 20 WHICH
Their we're TO be responsible In the
execution OF their trust Future inter
national conventions with regard 10
the control o. waterways. with regard
10 Illicit sra@c Of many KINDS, IN arms
o. IN deadly drugs. or with regard 70
the Judgment o. many varying inSerna.
tio-aI administrative arrangements
could not be assured II the treaty were
10 provide no permanent common In
tsrnaito1al agency. IL us execution in
such matters Vas TO be left 10 the
slew and uncertain process OF cooper
alton by ordinary methods OF negora'
ton
I If the peace conference itself was
the end OF cooperation authority and
common counsel among the govern
nsnIs TO which the world was locking
10 enforce justice and give pledges o.
an enduring settlement, regions Ike
the Ssar basin could not De put undsr
temporary administrative regime
which did not involve transfer OF
political sovereignty and which con-
templsted a final determination of its
political connections By popular vote
10 be taken CT distant date. No free
city ike Dantzig could be created
which was under elaborate inter
national guarantees TO accept excep-
tiouai obligations with regard 10 the
, use OF its port and exceptional rela-
tons with a state of which II wac
not TO form q part: properly safe
guarded piebescites could not be Pro-
vided for where populations were at
some future date 10 make choice what
sovereignty they would live under: no
certain and uniform method OF aroi-
tration could be secured for the settle
ment OF anticipated difficulties OF final
decision with regard 10 many mat
tiers dealt within the treaty itself; the
long continued supervision OF the
task of reparation which Germany was
10 undertake to complete within TIE
next generation might entirely break
down; the reconsideration and reyi-
sion of administrative arrangements
and restrictions which the treaty
prescribed but which ii was recog
nized might not prove OF lasting AZ
vantage or entirely fair If too long
enforced with debate impracticabie.
The promises governments were max
ing to one another about the way In
which labor was TO be dealt with by
law not only but in fact as well. would
remain a mere human thesis II there
was 10 be no common tribunal OF
opinion and Judgment TO which liberal
statesmen could resort for the IN
fluences which alone might secure
their redemption A league OF free
nations had become practical neces-
sity. Examine the treaty OF peace and
YOU viii find that everywhere
throughout its manifold provisions its
trainers have felt obliged 10 turn to
the league OF nations as an indtspen-
sable fundamentally for the main
teuance Of the new order il has been
their purpose to SET up in the world
the world OF civilized men
Should be League.
That there should be a league OF na-
tions to steady the counsels and main
tain the peaceful understandings OF
the world, TO make not, treaties alone.
hut the accepted principles OF inter
national law as well the actual rule
OF conduct among the governments Of I
the world, had been one of the agree /
ments accepted from the first as the
basis of peace with the central
powers. The statesmen OF all the
beIligerent countries were agreed that
such league must be created to sus-
tain the settlements that were 10 be .
effected. But at first / think there
YVES a feeling among some OF them
that. while it must be attempted. the
formation of such a league was per-
haps counsel or perfection which
practical men. long experienced in the
world OF affairs, must agree 10 very
cautiously and with many misgiyings-
1t was only as the difficult work OF
arranging IN all but universal adjust
ment Of the worlds affairs advanced
from day to day from one stage OF
conference 10 another that it became
evident to them that what they were
seeking would be little more than
something written upon paper. to be
interpreted and applied by such
metnO0S Is the Chances u HNAlL4Ss
might make available If they did not
provide means OF common counsel
which all we're obliged to accept.
common authority whose decisions
would be recognized as decisions
which all must respect.
And SO the most practical, the
most skeptical among them turned
more and more to the league as the
authority through which information
al action was TO be secured, the
authority without which. as they had
come 10 see it. il would be difficult
to give assured effect either 10 this
treaty or 10 any other international
upon which they were
to depend for maintenance Of peace
The fact that the covenant - the
league was the frs. substantive part of \:
the treaty 10 be worked and agreed .
upon while all else was in solution
helped 20 make the formulation ~ J
The rest easier. The conference,
was. after all not 20 be ephemnral (,
4