Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-06
LEAGUE OF
NATIONS IS
DISCUSSED
The University Convocation
Speaker Takes Up
Timely Subject.

An address by Prof. Hugh E. Willis,
acting dean of the law school Of the
university, on the question which is
foremost in the minds OF citizens of
the world today, The League Of Ma
tions." was the feature Of university
c%onvocation services held today. Prof.
Ault, In the absence of Presiu.lt
Kane, read the morning scripture
services. and Kathryn Harris of the
department of music favored the audi
ence with a pleasing cello solo her
accompanist was Frank Jenkins.
Prof. Willis spoke at some length
OF the history of the growth of the
d OF the league of nations, devel-
oping his subject from several angles.
Then he drew aside the curtain and
looked into the future, portraying to
his audience the wonderful possibili-
ties that lay before The world should
1t adopt n program Of the league
of nations. He treated his subject
In a logical. %clearcut manner.
! Gradual Growth OF idea.
In treating of the history Of the
growth of the idea Of the league of
nations, Prof. Willis declared that the
brotherhood of man has had a great
deal to do with the sentiment that
N~v0Ao AN ASoS oO VI AA1kAOI1Ss SLdEI1IlR
with biblical times. Prof. Willis de-
scribed the gradual growth OF this
sentiment.
Dwelling on the question of domain
on the high seas" Prof. Willis as
serted that that great international
domain outside the three-mile boun-
Diary needing government was one of
the most vital points to be considered.
The situation before the people of the
world at this time is how to control
this vast domain.
Speaking of the way civilization is
content to drift on when it comes to
waging frightful war, Prof. Willis de-
iclared that there was the danger of
rebarbarizatioR He cited as examples
the loss OF the Baylonian culture, the
Greek, the Roman and the Hebrew
civilization. N n can say but that
II those civilizations had no disap-
peared, they would have continued
to contribute to our worid life, and
IN the same time way they did before
they went out Of existence" he said.
Concerning the burden Of support
ing the ornaments Of the world, the
speaker went on to point out that the
bill for appropriation of approximate
ly three billions Of dollars for the sup
port and maintenance Of our arm.es,
which is up for consideration now, is
as much as the amount of money that
was spent upon all Of the buildings
in the United States in pre-war times.
All OF the money spent upon build
ing construction in this country is not
enough to. supply the United States
with sufficient armaments,' he said.
I'VE don't suppose that any people
but mad men would think of such a
burden as that said Prof. Willis,
and yet we are not a nation of mad
men. The only explanation I can Of
FER is that we refuse to think-we re-
tuse to think this thing through"
World Views in Focus.
Taking up the history of growth
Of the idea of the league of nations
from the angle of the frightfulness
world war brought the opinions of
men to focus. Men have decided that
they would tolerate a few things no
longer. They have looked for a way
to prevent them, and the only way Of
escape which they could find was a
league Of nations. The masses of the
people began to get the idea: they
to have this conviction, and the voice
ct humanity all over the world took
it up. Yet while they all longed for
it and dreamed of 1t, they never
thought it possible that this idea
could be worked out.
FroI. Wills further yer on to
bring out President Wilson'S part in
the working out Of this concept, this
ideal. He showed how Wilson, had
come before the people as the cham
pion of the ideal. had embodied it in
his political program and had made
the idea of the league Of nations no
longer an idle dream. Mr.. Wilson
followed up his work as champion
Of this ideal by getting the terms
of the plan of this leagte into the
terms of the armistice. The nations
that laid down their arms on Novem-
Der II agreed to do so upon the terms
Of this agreement. Prof. Willis as
serted that now that this plan of the
league of nations had been embodied
in the terms of the armistice, it was
disloyal for any one to. oppose it. TIe
stated that the opposer Of the plan
is guilty of a breach of faith. as great
as that of the German people.
Discussing Three Plans.
"At last, after all of these centuries
of hoping and thinking. we are going
to have SOME sort of a league of ma
TONS" was the speakers comment in
telling of the peace conference now
going on in Europe. Explaining to
his audience the three plans Of con-
stitution now before that body Of
peace legislators. Prof. Willis declar-