Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-12-15
-EEse
VERY MUCH ALIVE.

Gould anything be more ridiculous
than to have Senator Lodge stating
before tho senate every day that the
peace treaty is dead? IL the treaty
IS as dead as the Republican leader
would have us believe. why does he
find it necessary to tell us that it is
dead so often?
As a matter OF fact, there is nothing
hat is more alive thar the treaty Of
peace with Germany. The nation can
not settle down to business until the
treaty is ratified, and it must be rati-
fed as it came from Paris Ii the world
IS to be saved from chaos.
The resolution of Senator Knox
that the treaty be ratified without the
covenant of the League of Nations is
SO ridiculous tina it Is hardly worth
considering. The treaty itself rests
On tho League Of Nations. Any mum
Der of provisions throughout the en-
tire treaty are made with the under
standing that there Will be a League
Yfo Nations. Ii there is no such
league then the treaty IS useless and
aefrectiye.
To do away with the League OF
Nations would be to kill the very
principle for which America fought.
1t was to make the world safe for
democracy and to do away with fu-
turc wars that our boys went into
battle. The first step was to wipe
out the remaining autocracies. which
has been done. Germany, Austria
Hungary, Turkey and Russia were the
last of the absolute monarchies. They
have gone. Today the nations of the
world are ruled by the people who
make up those nations, and the peo-
pie can be trusted.
These peoples ask only to be per-
mitted to develop their w affairs in
their own way. To do that they must
be assured that they will not be set
upon at any moment by some more
powerful nation. Tho one way for
them to be assured of peace is for
them all to band themselves together
In q league tending toward the peace
full settlement Of all thelr differences, |
Just az citizens of the same country
now settle their disputes.
The League of Nations is the first
step in this direction. Put the League
of Nations.into operation and once the
peoples OF the eartA see that it is pos
able to get along together without
aaaughtering each other every so often
HEY will turn their swords into pillow
shares and grow n prosper. Wars,
will. indeed, become a thing of the
past.
This is no Idle dream. The lead
ing statesmen of the greatest civilized
nations have adopted it as sound and
sensible. America has the great op-
p~ortunity to lead In this great forward
movement. Being the greatest demo-
craey, naturally her part is the a
Ing one. But the reactionaries In the
United states senate are doing their
Utmost to prevent America from full
filling her mission In this regard.
This cannot be. The League of Ma
tons. even with all the imperfections
must be adopted and put into opera
zion. 1t can be amended and strength
ened as time goes on and once 1t Is IN
good working order we will wonder
how we ever thought of getting along
without 1t.
without the League of Nations
every country will at once be thrown
back on the conditions as they were
before the war. 1t will be necessary
for all to arm to the teeth; expensive
will be in order and the
neople will be b~urdened with extra
taxation TO pay the bills. With the
League of Nations as provided for in
the peace treaty there is hope for the
future. Without it there is no hope.
1t is up to the Republicans IN the
United States senate to give the peo-
pie of this country the leading posi-
tion in future world affairs that should
be theirs. America has always stood
for peace and here is an opportunity
TO lead the whole world in that direc-
ton. 1t will be an objectionable crime
IL the opportunity is lost through the
petty personal spite and narrow parti-
sanship of q few Republicans in the
United States senate.
If the Republicans are determined
70 play politics. the people can give
them all the politics they want and
the kind Of politics that the people
will play in this matter will not be to
the liking Of those who block Ameri-
cas- chance of leading the democra-
eies of the world toward universal
peace and prosperity.