The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-08

to the League Of Nations for arbitra-
ton, under the proposed constitution.
that refusal would constitute an act
OF war on U part against all the
world If California should refuse to
admit Japanese children into her pub
lie schools along with the children OF
California and the children of Eng
lish and French and German parent,
and Japan should protest, and the
controversy became so acute that a
preach between the two nations were
threatened, it would be possible, if
IN fact it would not be the duty of
he League, to undertake to adjust
the quarrel. Then, if Japan so re-
4uested, the matter would go to the
body Of delegates where each of the
countries OF the League has one vote,
not n of them believing there is
either ems or justice in excluding
any child from any school solely for
racial reasons.
Discussion has brought out these
points and many more but I have
strong hopes that they will all be
cleared UP before this constitution is
finally agreed upon. 1t is a great
mistake in my judgment to hold men
up as opponents of peace or as lack
ng in loyalty or patriotism simply be-
cause they have INDUCED their right
to publicly criticise this proposed
League. Jefferson said a long time
ago that there was no danger in error
50 long as Truth was left free to COM
bat it.
Let me just briefly call attention
now on the other hand to some of
the things hat will happen if we do
not have a League of Nations, if the
Conference at Paris is a failure.
Since the Battle of Waterloo which
ended the Napoleonic wars which had
irenched Europe in blood for fifteen
years there have been some fifty wars
n Europe in which many, many mil
lions of men were sacrificed upon the
red field of battle. There is no doubt
whatever in my mind that this bloody
history will be rewritten in this cen
fury unless there is some sort of COW
enant entered into by the great ma
tons of the earth to enforce peace.
sometimes hear the question "why is
that any of u concern" SO long as
we stay at home, attend to our own
affairs and keep our nose out of other
peoples business" l think there are
two answers to this question. In the
first place there is no warrant for
the hope that we can keep out. There
was a time when wars could be locali-
zed but science has annihilated dis
lance. No people can have their
Sha 70 IF tho hlocco~c - sTr,.-&-4l
Century civilization unless they can
extend their commerce to the utter
most parts of the earth. The mech
anism of all international intercourse
is now SO complex and so compre-
hensive that no nation can isolate it.
self and survive. "No mar liveth to
HIMSELF says the Book, and this is
equally true of nations. We found that
out to our sorrow in 1917. No people
ever prayed more earnestly to be
guided through the troubled waters in
peace than we did, but war came and
so it will come again. In the next
place there is a duty which we can
not shirk with honor. No people are,
or ever have been more abundantly
blessed with all the privileges and
blessings of civilization and we have
no right to expect to receive all the
blessings and yet share none of the
burdens, OF the society of nations.
Man is born into civilization and there
are responsibilities growing out of
that. He is born a citizen of this re-
public with all the blessings and
rights and privileges which that citi-
zenship confers, but he cannot eschew
his responsibilities and refuse to bear
his share of the common burden. |
would not abandon the constitution of
our country for any earthly consider
alton, but l do not believe that its
abandonment or its impairment will
be Incorporated in the League of Ma
tions. l would not have my country
inject itself unnecessarily into all the
turmoils of Europe, but l realize the
fact that when Dewey sailed into the
Bay of Manila on that bright May
morning in 1898, he proclaimed from
his lannon's mouth that another men,
Der of the family of nations had ar
rived at mans estate and that he was
ready and able to claim and defend
his share of the heritage Of the ages.
Let no man lay the flattering JUNCTION
to his soul that we can go back where
were in 1914. Unless an effective