Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-14
Some Objections to the
League

Omaha, Sept Ito the Editor
of The Bee: ! have always been an
admirer of the wisdom OF the men
who built the constitution of the
United States, and at this time I am
particularly impressed with their
wisdom in requiring that all treaties
must be approved by two-thirds of
the senate.
That observation was inspired by
the spectacle Of the president TAX
ing upon himself the sole duty of
negotiating a treaty to end the war
in which the United States took
such prominent part.
say the sole duty, for the other
| members OF the commission were
! only "also rams.
The United States asked nothing
and got nothing. for the president
went over obsessed with the sole
idea Of league Of nations, which
after adoption proved to be a Brit
ish version Of his idea.
His speech in which he an
nounced that he was going over to
participate in open covenants
openly arrived at" now reads
strangely in view of the fact that
the senate knew nothing officially of
tiic uCuly iii lucy Ildu 10 force Its
presentation to them.
The fact that Great Britain has
six votes in the assembly of the
league Of nations while the United
States has only one does not help
to bring support to it as it stands
now.
The president in one Of his re-
cent speeches said that the obiec-
ton to the treaty and league were
so weak that they were not hard to
beat. If he Is right, why is he MAX
ing such a strenuous effort to beat
them by leaving Washington at this
time when matters OF immense i'm
portance to the nation are under
consideration and should have his
constant presence there, to spend
30 days in swinging around the cir
Gle making special pleas for swal-
lowing whole the treaty and league.
do not want to see the United
States placed in such a position that
1t will be obliged to use its forces
In any quarrel in which we have no
interest. and I do not believe that
there is even a respectable minority
or the people who want to see our
army and navy used as a universal
world police.
One of the worst features Of the
treaty in my opinion Is the pro
vision that takes the province of
Shantung from China and gives it
10 Japan. Although promises are
made that 1t will ultimately be re-
turned to China, the promises are
only verbal and ultimately is very
indefinite Shantung is Chinas
Holy land" it contains the sacred
mountain which the Chinese have
worshiped for 1000 years, and it
contains also the birthplace and
tomb of Confucius, who stands for
the Chinese as Christ does for the
Christian. and it is not only a ma
terial wrong to China but a senti-
mentally religious outrage, and the
crusades show us the strength that
lies in religious sentiment
the president says that increased
production will remedy the high
level of prices. but l wish to say
that the return Of peace will bring
the Underwood tariff again on the
country, and the trade Journals
showed that under the operations
of that tariff in December, 1914.
there were 100000 men unemployed
in the United States and that con-
dition continued until the demand
for men to manufacture munitions
OF war gave them work. and we
know that our democratic Senator
tried to stop the export
Of those munitions which were Civ
ing employment to great numbers
OF people. Now the Underwood
tariff cannot be changed while Mr.. |
Wilson is president, for we know
how bitterly opposed he is to any
thing that has a hint of protection
int it.
JONATHAN EDWARDS.