The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-03
UNITED STATES OUGHT TO SUP,
PORT LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

PORT LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
There is nothing perfect in the world,
and there never will be; and things fash
toned by man oftentimes show imperfee-
tions at the start which are eliminated
through further observation and added
experience. For nearly two months some
ing nations of the world have been en-
gagged in a colossal work at Paris, build
ing something for which there was no
precedent and, as it were, working much
in the dark, but with lofty purposes and
with desire to bring about the greatest
good for the world through the elimina
ton of strife and warfare. There have
been many opinions and many preiudices,
as one might naturally expect, when rep
resentatives of nations with such varied
histories were brought together in con
ference for a common end. No doubt,
however, there has been single aim in
yiew-the prevention, if possible, of all
wars, not only through set of rules and
regulations but through a better under
standing among the great governments
which really dominate the current of the
worlds events. After much labor and
some concession these men have arrived
at a virtual understanding as framed in
the covenant of the league of nations;
and that covenant is now going before
the nations concerned with a view to
ratification by the governments if the
arrangement is found TO be satisfactory.
So the covenant OF the league OF ma.
tions comes before the people Of the
United States for consideration and for
support if the people of the country can
find it in their hearts and minds to ac.
eept the principles therein laid down.
The United States will be asked to ac-
cept the principles and thus become an
integral land one may add, Important
part of the machinery of operation OF
the league of nations, an organization
which will work its destiny as much by
moral prestige perhaps as by actual ply.
steal force The United States as the
power which brought the war to a con
clusion is now to become the leader of
the nations in the framing of a world
peace which shall be as nearly perma
nent and complete as it is possible for
human beings to make 1t. If the United
States fails to give its support to this
league of nations, it is probable that the
whole fabric will fall of its own weight,
. the other nations concerned not consider
ing it worth while if the United States
does not become party to the organ
ization; and thus the advanced step in
civilization which undoubtedly has been
taken will have been turned into q retro
grade movement which win take genera
tions to overcome and which may launch
the world into another great cataclysm
of arms just as soon as the nations shall
have recovered sufficiently from the re.
cent effort, Can the United States afford
to become a clog in the march Of the
world toward right living? viii the
high ideals that have ever dominated
this republic permit us to become OBJ
structionists in q movement that has
the secret approval of the world as the
common desideratum?
1t is our opinion that the United
States must not, through any reason, al
low the worlds progress to be stayed
through failure to enlist in this great
world movement. 1t is probably true
that the covenant of the league of ma
tions does not represent the highest de-
velopment of the human mind along
those lines; indeed, as we have already
pointed out, it would scarcely be expect
ed that the best and most feasible meth
DDS could be worked out Immediately and
without previous experience, But we
are offered the groundwork of general
agreement which proposes TO prevent all
wars. Our statesmen Of different shades
of political belief give testimony that
the league Of nations does not force us
to surrender any of our essential SOW.
ereignty as a nation, while on the other
hand it does give promise of becoming
an international clearinghouse where the
disputes of nations can be settled with
out resort to arms and the slaughter of
millions Of human beings. That being
the case, it seems to us that the league
of nations should be given a thorough
testing out and it should not be abau
doned o1hand without trial. The Unit
ed States ought to lend its strong sup.
port.
WILLIAMSTOITN