The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-20
PRESIDENT LOWELL SAID.

A delay before hostilities will not pre-.
vent all wars, bat it will make them
much less common. and il will wholly
prevent a nation from deliberately plan
ming a war. as Germany did, and seeking
the advantage of surprise when its vie
Tins are unprepared.
The country that goes to war before
submitting its case to arbitration must
be regarded as a criminal against man.
kind, and treated instantly as an outlaw
and a common enemy by the rest of the
world.
If the league contained, as we expect.
by far the greater part Of the world, no
nation would, for moment contemplate
war against such a coalition. and there
fore wars would not occur before arbitra
ton
War, like fire, has tendency to spread,
and no one in community has a right to
start conflagration which his neighbors
have not right to put out.
The covenant of Paris is very defective
in its drafting. 1t is easily mis-
misunderstood. Let us remem-
Der that in its present shape the covenant
is intended only as draft, subject to cor
rection.
For the first time we have an expert
ment in open diplomacy, the public being
admitted to inspect the process before it
is completed. 1t would certainly be UNI
fortunate for that experiment if criticism
of the draft were purely destructive; and
vet we have so far had no criticism Of a
constructive character.
The principle of manufactures seems to
no IIp
one of those nations that helped to ac-
quire them (the colonies of Germany and
her allies have right. and have no less
duty L. see that they are properly adj
ministcred. and there is no need of max
ing bugbear Of it.
The fear Of supcrsovereign body. to
which we are asked to sacrifice our indie
pendence. is the creation of an oyerheated
imagination.
First or last. the opponents of the cove
nant always seek for an argument in
Washington's Farewell Address. Curious
" enough, | have never heard Washing
tons opinions or practice which must be
we'll known, quoted against prohibition
or some other modern innovations.
Washington was one of the greatest
innovators in history, for the reason that
iit llNGi HIS fl~Itll lDb I'll pom blAc II'tSA, but
on the facts of his day and the problems
oil the future.
As our senior Senator and as the leader
Of the Republicans in the Senate, we have
a right TO ask Mr.. lodge two questions:
First. whether he win or will not vote
for the covenant of Paris. provided it is
amended as he wishes; and, second. what
amendments thereto he desires.
il is perfectly clear that immigration
+ and tariffs are internal affairs. and if
there is any serious doubt on the ques-
F., ton there will doubtless be no objection
to making it perfectly clear lin the cove
nant).
/ IN one sense the Monroe Doctrine
means that no foreign nation shall ac-
quire a foothold on these continents,
even with the consent of the country that
owns the place. The United
States would be justified in asking for a
clause Ito this effect nor do
believe that the European members OF
the league would object to such clause
1t is a little late in the day for oppon-
ents OF the covenant to discover that its
treaty obligations are constitutional, and
hence that all foregoing treaties are null
and void. This is particularly true OF
those senators who voted for many oil
these treaties.