Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-09-18


human intelligence can devise will be
made to settle international disputes
peaceably. But should all these meas
ures fail and two nations go to war,
this is what will happen:
If both parties to the dispute have
observed the rules of the League, the
other nations will stand back and let
them fight it out. War under such
circumstances is difficult to imagine,
however, because before the angry ma.
tons will be allowed to fight in ac-
cordance with the rules of the League,
so much time must elapse that in all
probability their anger will cool and
they will reach an amicable under
standing
What we have TO fear is that some
nation will 90 TO war in defiance Of
the League, and every precautiOn has
been taken to suppress such nation
by the immediate use of the united
power of the other nations. If inter
national boycott failed to bring her
to terms she would have to face a
combined international army and
navy The founders of the League be-
lieve that the mere possibility of such
a situation will prevent any nation
from violating its agreement. Does
anyone think that Germany would
have begun war five years ago If she
had known that nearly all the other
great powers would combine against
her?
Doing the Worlds Work.
In addition to settling international
disputes peaceably the League of
Nations will provide means for doing
much of the worlds work more sys-
tematically and effectively than can
be done now when each nation Is
working only for itself. The people
you know best and like best are those
who work with you on the same job.
1t will be the same way with the
nations OF the future. The more they
work together, the sooner they will
come to understand and like each
other
For example, the League will estab-
lish an international organization for
the lettering of labor conditions in
different countries, for the protection
of women and children and the native
Inhabitants Of civilized and semi-civil-
lied countries. One of Germany's
greatest crimes has been her barba-
rous treatment of the helpless people
in some of her colonies. One of the
chief tasks of the League will be to
look after peoples that are not strong
enough to protect themselves.
The League will appoint commits
sions to take charge of various inter-
national undertakings so that they
may be carried on, not for the benefit
of any one nation, but for the benefit
of the whole world. Provision will be
made for promotion of fair and equal
trade conditions.
These are only a few Of the benefits
the world will derive from the League.
AS time goes on we shall find more
and more tasks at which the nations
can work In common and a greater
number Of opportunities to remove
causes which stir up jealouSies and
animositieS between races and peoples.
Objections Answered.
OF course we cannot hope to make
the great changes such as the League
of Nations will bring about without
opposition. Fortunately the war has
taught us the great advantages of
international cooperation. 1t was
only by good team work that the free
liberty loving nations were able to
whip Germany.
The treaty which the United States
Senate is debating obligates the mem-
bers of the proposed League to pro-
tect one another against attack from
enemies outside their own boundaries
bent upon conquest Although this
agreement (Article X of the Cove
nanD is vital to any arrangement
which seeks to prevent war, it has
been attacked on the ground that 1t
would draw the United States into
wars In various parts of the world and
force us to send our boys to fight in
quarrels which did not concern us.
We should remember, however, that |
the main purpose of Article X is to |
brighten nations tempted to wars of |
conquest from yielding to the tempta- |
ton, by the certainty that they will be |
crushed If they begin such a war by |
a universal boycott and a union of |
forces of the world against them. II |
II big war breaks out again, the United |
States will be forced to take part In |
II whether we have a League of
Nations or not. We tried hard enough |
to keep out of the war with Germany |
but found we couldn't.
A little war contrary to the League
rules could be handled by the powers |
close at hand. Certainly it would not |
be necessary to send American troops
to suppress an uprising in the Balkans
when prompt action by the armies of |
Italy or some other nearby powerful
nation could suppress the fracas be- !
fore American troops could even get
started.
Great Gain for Small Loss.
We had to make many sacrifices 10
win the last war and we made them
willingly because we knew they We're
worth while. II will be the same in
smaller degree with League Of |
Nations. When men form a business
partnership each one has to make
concessions to the Views and opinions
of the other members of the firm
When we enter the League oil