Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-16


such q league a. Europe expects.
We have not told our people the
truth: That wars arise from eco
nomic causes; that all the leagues
in the world will fail that leave
nations cramped beyond their will
to stand cramping in economic
fields and that the way to enforce
peace Is slowly to work out nation
al economic adjustments that will
prevent war by removing the
causes OF war.
We have not preached the part
nership of society to our own peo-
pie; we have not shown them the
close relation between the Kansas.
hog-raiser and the Italian farmer
who needs the Kansas meat; we
have not taught our people to think
in terms of world needs and world
markets. We have taught Ameri-
cans to give their boys blood for
democracy and they have respond
ed gloriously; but they know moth
ing of putting their wheat and
corn and beef and iron and copper
into the fight for democracy, not
merely for the needs Of war but
for the long. drab. undramatic
needs of peace. We denied our
selves sugar and butter and bread
for our starving allies during the
war; why not also deny ourselves
for our starving allies in the fields
and workshops of peace. SO that
all may have enough and no man
who will work need see his family
suffer for food and shelter and
warmth, while our bounty holds
out?
NO HAGUE TREATY STUFF.
Briefly, that Is what the Euro
pean Socialists mean when they
assemble at great meetings and
hold parades and go around viva
ing for Wilson. They mean rev.
olution by this league of nations,
and they don't mean merely Hague
treaty stuff. The American peo-
pie should know it. 1t is unfair to
commit them to the revolution II
they don't believe in 1t. And IL
they do believe in the league of ma
lists are advocating in the name Of
Wilson, 1t would be grotesquely
tragic not to put American senti-
ment back of this league. And II
President Wilson fails, II he comes
home with a fake or compromise,
he will be known in Europe as the
grandest fraud in history. And by
his picture will the nation be
judged.
We may as well face two or three
disagreeable facts: America Is in
danger Of being rather generally
hated In Europe. For In the first
place human nature Is human and
we shall come out of the war the
strongest nation on earth. Our
manpower has not been crippled.
our industries are organized and
running at full speed; our inter-
nal credits are sound. We have
raw materials for sale and ships to
take it to all parts OF the world. No
other nation approaches our finan-
cial or industrial status. And If we
insist on the interets on the money
which our allies owe to us we shall
be levying tribute-say five hun
dred millions a year-from a bro
ken-hearted and almost bankrupt
world. Germany would soon lose
the worlds hatred to America. In
q balance of power, We should
stand alone. In a political league
an exalted and continuous Hague
s,l.A ptil 1a
alone, the worlds envied and loath-
ed creditor. Usurer would be the
mildest epithet our debtors would
heap upon us.
Only in a league Of nations would
we be safe, league of nations
wherein our great stores of food,
our rich mines and forces and our
organized Industries would be
turned into agencies of service to
humanity, not made under ruth
less international competition the
memorable agencies of oppression
for our neighbors. Business Is
business, of course. We can hold
our own in the brotherhood Of ma
lions and grow fat on the weak
nesses of humanity that surely will
follow the war. But If we value
our own self-respect and the re-
spect of our neighbors-"the due
respect of the nations Of mankind"
which our Declaration of lnde-
pendence exalts, then indeed may
we well use the interest which Is
coming to us on our loans to the
allies, as the price Of their partici-
patton In a league Of nations. That
is to say-if we desire league
of nations at all, a genuine one,
it must have economic binders that
will hold the world together In
peace. If we do not desire such a
league some arrangements should
be made to pull the coat-tails Of
the affable, elderly gentleman with
the amicable grin who Is touring
Europe de luxe, annoying the con-
stituted governments of Europe
with the genial patter Of revolu-
toni
Next Sundays article by Mr.. Viii
will be "Cranking the Peace Machine