The Yale expositor., 1919-08-21
Purpose OF the League.


The chief purpose OF the League OF
Nations Is to keep the world In
state OF peace. Another way of ex.
pressing 1t Is to say that the league
Is designed to prevent wars.
We have just finished the greatest,
which IL to say the most horrible, Of
all conflicts between nations We
have won u glorious victory But that
victory will be wasted unless this war
has made the nations ready to
put aside their differences and CO.
operate 10 end war forever.
Ii Is not enough, however, TO pro-
vide for the prevention OF wars and
the settlement OF disputes after they
have arisen. We must fOresee causes
Of trouble and remove them before
they have reached an acute stage.
Hence there must be provision for fire.
quent consultations OF members OF the
league for exchange OF information
for agreement on common policies and
for the gradual formation OF rules of
International law which at present are
uncertain and incomplete.
The representatives Of the great
free nations which won the war have
met at Paris and, after long cOnsulta-
ton, have drawn an agreement which
they believe will accomplish these
ends. At the very least It will set In
motion great changes which will re-
suit in universal benefit to all man.
kind. This agreement is called the
Covenant of the League of Nations
and II is a part of the peace treaty.
There will be NO league worth talk
Ing about, however, unless the United
States Is a member. The decision az
to whether the United States shall
join rests with our Senate. The Sena-
tors, chosen by the people, will In the
end vote az the people desire. For
this reason the people themselves will
decide whether or not the United
States will join the league. In this
|. question every citizen should have n
Noice He or she can express opinion
NAer by writing direct to Senators,
g letters TO the newspapers, by
~ tss in his lodge or local union or
~. >ssatiop with friends.
49,. - OF Maintaining Peace.
s,"os prime object Of the
aa.e w <ans is to preserve peace
league OF MAJ. <s benefits Of peace
:. "n ~, - reap !. >Aeague-will operate
ct g a US sTS how , tnt NyFpsss
In the first place It h ev TN.
move the main causes o. ~ x,t II
ormation OF an internati, VA ful
Viii create a means for tn,
ettlement of disputes betw, ns
Ions. Then II will seek to com. va uS
Iations TO make use OF this %"rl'
his Is nothing more nor less than
pplication of the rules and custo.
overning private individuals in civil. '
zed communities to the relations be-
ween nations.
Secondly. the League will seek 10 re-
move great temptation to war by
he general agreement to reduce the
lie OK armies and navies. This will
alt the race for military and naval
supremacy which was largely respon-
ible for the war just ended. The
mount OF armament any nation may
maintain will be strictly defined.
'hus 1t will be impossible for one
ountry to overwhelm It's neishbor by
nexpected attack, In the way that
Germany crushed Belgium aud would |
ave crushed France badnot the other
nations gone to her aid. The
lea is that each country may keep
n army and navy large enough to en-
Bile II to fulfil Its responsibilities A.
member Of the Lesgue, but no larger.
he United States. for erampls, prob
bly, would be. expected to keep
heck on Mexico and the state OF con-
ant turmoil in that country would be
ken into consideration in deciding
ow large an army we should need. II
The third important safeguard
hich the League will set up IL a sys-
nm OF penalties. This will make an
ntlaw Of any nation or group Of ma
ons which goes TO war in violation /
: a. Il