The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-08
THE END AND THE MEANS
OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

nivsnce Matched in impenetrabIe
secrecy, secrecy OF which M VIII
son was himself among al the
machinato-s present the most
jealous. conniyance. further. which
era bles the carrying out OF every
execrEble secret bargain laid down
by the allied governments since the
war began. So much for the first
Establishment In Mr.. Wilson's elab-
crate seduction OF liberal opinion. II
he has made good his professions
with anything more substantial IN re-
spect 10 the other FIVE points of
promise, there is nothing In his pro-
posed covenant 20 indicate the fact.
Free seas. free trade, disarmament.
Eelt-deter1nination. and the rights of
small nations have now the precise
status which they had before Mr.
Wilson offered them his devotion:
and his address of January S. 1918.
has the indelible endorsement OF his
tory as a "good-enoug h- Morgan"
What we have is calm, arrogant,
and ruthless formulation of a plan Of
world-domination By the FIVE conquer
ing powers, q device for causing the
exploitable territories of the earth to
stand and deliver without the risk
and cost OF war. Stripped OF its
Terbiage and a cant that is matched
perhaps only in the act of Algeciras.
this is the sheer fact OF articles
xvi-dx inclusive. The governments
of the United States, Great Britain,
France. Italy, and Japan are the
league OF nations, they are the execu-
tive council; they appoint the dummy
directors; they pass finally on the
qualifications of candidates; they are,
in short, an absolute and irrespon-
sible oligarchy. So far from recog-
mixing freedom OF the seas. freedom
Of trade, disarmament or seif-deter-
mination, their coilusion precludes
these possibilities. International com
merce cannot be carried on except at
their pleasure, under their jurisdic-
ton, and, it Is surely by this time
superfiuous TO add. to their profit.
TeleoIogicaIly considered, we are
offered an economic alliance which
has as its primary object, in general.
the exploitation OF d property-less de-
pendent class the world over, and, as
between nations, the exploitation f1
the vanquished by the yicfors. and
Of weaker nations by ms stronger.
II is an organization of what Fred
eric c. Howe calls financial I'D
perialism' raised to it's highest pos
sibiliry. Ii contemplates only q
political peace, and that a pax Ro-
mana. OF economic peace it gives
no hint; on the contrary, IL contem-
plates the inauguration OF unprece-
dentei economic war.
This. then, is the ground of objec-
ton to the covenant upon which we
choose to stand We ask that the
document be taken upon this ground
and examined with strict attention
to the economic implications of every
proposal, the possibilities of eco
nomic exploitation covered by every
arrangement Especially we urge this
upon the properties and exploited
class in all countries. for it is their
chief concern. The past four years
fortunately have given them some
useful experience OF the niceties of
diplomatic language. and they now
have the opportunity TO turn It to
most profitable account They are.
too, in a position where they may
have something effective TO say about
the point-blank handing over of their
economic destiny to persons or to
groups that have hitherto shown
COHSplCuJASiy
in their administration OF similar
trust; and they can say II none too
soon The nationalist interest of the
document is for US all: Its economic
interest is peculiarly theirs. Let them
consider what the six doctrines for
which Mr. Wilson offered a casual
and opportunist sponsorship in Janu-
airy, 1918, mean for them; then let
them consider the proposals which he
now sponsors and insists upon, and
see which way their economic in
teret inclines them.