The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1919-02-20

and Franklin, too-that is, the bette
part of it, possibly the major part 9
| it.
Tidings from abroad are to the e1
i feet that rulers as well as peoples en-
| dorse the stand Wilson has taken, an
! if that be so mankind is to be con
graduated, for it means that in thu
| affairs of nations trial is to be made
of the idea that justice must sup
plant might. Osthomism is mighty
force, and why not reinforce morality
with it in any quarrel with depravlty
| Everybody faVors the plan except {
few statesmen and newspapers ir
President Wilson's own country. The
cream of the Republican party is
against it. Why? Because Woodrow
Wilson, a Democratic President of the
United States, first proposed it. That's
all.
Here is The. Washington Post, a
most versatile organ of opinion, that
can write on all sides Of all questions
with equal zeal, equal learning and
ed of Wilson's failure, though it vol
equal convictions-Th Post is assur-
unteers the information that it is
sorry. The Post is moved to say:
cit is with profound regret that
thoughtful Americans are seeing the
inevitable embarrassment and failure
that lie ahead Of President Wilson in
his efforts to work out a League of
Nations that will neither resort to
force itself nor fail to prevent warlike
nations from using force. All Ameri-
cans support the President, to man,
in the desire to abolish war and to
make such peace settlements at this
time as will preserve peace with JUS
tlce. But rapidly growing number
OF Americans perceive that it would
be unwise, even if it were easy or pos
sible. for the United States to com
promise its complete freedom of ma
ton by joining a League of Nations
to call on it's members for
troops, ships and munitions of war to
suppress war begun by some recall
citrant nation. That power is moth
ing less than the power to declare
war, which is committed to Congress,
and which Congress cannot transfer
to any League of Nations, by treaty
Dr. otherwise"
Which is to say that in the philos-
0phy of The Washington Post the
opinion of mankind is a contemplate
quantity, too trivial to enter interna-
,lonal calculation. But all of us know
hat it was the adverse opinion of
that worked nightly to de-
eat Germany in the world war The
Post is thinking in terms that pre-
vailed centuries ago, when the treaty
If Washington, the treaty of Ryswick,
ne treaty of Utrecht, the treaty of
Alx-la-Chappelle, and other like scraps
If paper, were writ. Civilization has
advanced beyond that. Everything in
his world that happened before
August, 1914, is ancient history. War
egislates, and the world war revised
LII statutes and provided an entire
y new world code. The Washington
0Ost and those whose preiudices it
echoes and those who echo its echo do
10 consider the lilies of the field, how
hey grow; they toll not, neither do
hey spin. And yet Solomon in all his i
glory was not arrayed like one of !
hese. 0 We of little faith!
Then The Post closes with this ma !
este chunk of selfishness:
Other nations can join an armed |
league, Of Nations if they please, and
apparently it would be good plan for |
treat Britain, France, Italy, Japan |
Russia and other nations to form such |
league. The fact that the United |
states must and will retain it's com
'lete sovereignty and freedom of act |
on causes many Americans to re-
sret that President Wilson should as
sumo the leadership in a movement !
which, if it materializes at all, will |
lot include the United States"
Let George do it. True, we are con-
;erned vitality concerned; but we
would take our case. We abhor re-
'ponsihility, and this job is too big
or us to tackle. So we decline the |
abor and abdicate the honor. We
ire to reap where we SOW not and
gather where we have not strawed.
That miserable stuff about surren-
Ter of sovereignty and freedom of act |
on is rot, pure rot, Invented to dis |
credit Woodrow Wilson with that |
lass who Succumb to ignorance and i
IRE the salves of prejudice Wilson !
toes not propose to surrender any |
sovereignty and he proposes to retain
ull freedom Of action. So do Eng
and, France, Italy, Belgium and the
Ithers.
Without such league, Germany
devoted forty-odd years to prepare
ion for the world war. Yet size fail
'd-failed because the publ copinion
# the world raised up enemies against
Ter she never dreamed of, and had
he suspected the combination made
Igainst her by public opinion she
would have behaved and there would
lave been no war Had there been
uch a League of Nations as Wilson
advocates Germany would have had
lue notice and the worlds peace
would not have been disturbed.
Of all the miserable and contempt
bic arguments" brought to combat
he noble idea of Wilson. this one
hat he would surrender his country's
sovereignty is chiefest, viIest and
HACKERS is the place to get