The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1919-09-05
LEAGUE FULFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says Democra-
cies Replaced Autocracies
at Our Bidding.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHIEF.
Urges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty VIII Collapse
Without League Of
Nations.

Herbert Hoover Is so deeply con.
cerned over the opposition 10 the
League OF Nations in the United
States that lac has let himself be In.
tervlewed at length on the League sit
uatIon. In talk with the New York
Times correspondent in Paris. the
Food Administration Chief asserts that
having caused the League idea TO pre-
vail America cannot abandon It. We
cannot withdraw. he says. and leave
Europe to chaos. ITO abandon the
League Covenant now means that the
treaty itself will collapse"
Mr.. Hoovers wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad
his reputation as an administrator, Q
man of great affairs who deals with
facts. not theories, make his state
ment one OF the most important con
tributions TO the recent League discus.
sions.
There are one or two points in con
nection with the present treaty." SAID
Mr. Hoover. ".hat need careful consid
Grafton by the American public. W.
need TO digest the fact that we have
for century and a half been advO
eating democracy not only as q
remedy for the internal Ills OF all so
ciety. bat also as the only real safe
guard against war. We have believed
and proclaimed. in season and out
that a world In which there was q
free expression and enforcement OF
the viii Of the ma jority was the real
basis OF government. was essential for
the advancement OF civilization. and
that we have proved It's enormous hu
man benefits in our country.
American ldeas Have Prevailed.
I'VE went into the war 10 destroy
autocracy as a menace to our own and
all other democracies. II we had not
come into the war every inch Of Euro.
pean soil today would be under auto.
cratic government We have imposed
our will on the world Out of this
victory has come the destruction OF
the four great autocracies In Ger.
many. Russia. Turkey and Austria and
the little autocraey IN Greece New
democracles have sprung into being IN
Poland. Finland. Letvin. Lithuania
Esthonia. Czechoslovakia. Greater
Serbia, Greece, Siberia. and even Ger
many and Austria have established
democratic governments. Beyond
these host OF small republics. such
as Armenia. Georgia. Azerbaijan ant
others. have sprung up. and again n
n result of this great world movement
the constitutions of Spain. Rumunia
and even England. have made fina
ascent 10 complete franchise and de
mocracy, although they still maintain
symbol OF royalty.
"We have been the living spring for
this last century and half from which
these ideas have sprung. and We have
triumphed The world today. except
for a comparatively few reactionary
and communistic autocraciss. is dem.
ocratIc. and we did II.
"a man who takes wife and
bleSses the world with several infants
cannot 20 away and leave them on
the claim that there was no legal mar.
riage.
These infant democracies all have
political. social and economic prob
lens Involving their neighbors that
are fraught with the most intense
friction There are no natural bound.
aries In Europe. Faces are not com
pact they blend at every border. They
need railway communication and sea
outlets through their neighbors' terri.
tory.
MANY of these states must for the
next few years struggle almost for
bare bones to maintain their very
existence. Every one OF them is 60
ing to do its best TO protect Its own
interests, even to the prejudice OF iti
neighbors.
Governments Lack Experience.
"NNe IN. America should realize thai
democracy, as n stable form Of govern
ment as We know II. is possible only
with highly educated populations and
n large force Of men who are capable
OF government. Few OF the men wh'
compose these governments have had
any actual experience at governing
and theft populations are woefully II
llterate
"They will require a generation OF
actual national life In peace To de
velop free education and skill I'm gov
ernment.
UNLESS these countries have guild.
Ing hand and referee IN their Quarrels,