The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1919-03-15
PASTOR TALKS
ON LEAGUE
REV. GABRIEL SYKES URGES
THAT REASON BE UMPIRE
OF NATIONS
Sermon on League of Nations Con-
sidered Timely-Audience
Attentive

Can we not do our fighting with
ideas and ideals? ?" asked Rev. Cab
riel Sykes, who has recently taken
his place in the pulpit of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church of Colville, in
sermon Sunday evening on the
proposed League of Nations. Rev.
Sykes discussed the fundamental
principles on which the idea of the
league of nations is founded, and
urged that the experiment of letting
reason be the umpire among nations,
be given trial in face of the fail
ure which has resulted from the old
methods.
One of the frequent objections to
the new plan for governing inter
national relations, that of the loss
Of nationality, was considered by
Rev. Sykes in his address. He
stated that he did not think the
time had come to entirely Danish the
strong feeling of nationality in the
interest of peace among nations,
that both We're needed and not in
congruous. TO destroy national
ism in the interest of international
good will was similar, according to
Rev. Sykes, to destroying individual
ity to establish social well-being, as
outlined in some eXtereme varities
of socialism.
at is one of the principles of our
discipline to learn to live with varie-
ties" he continued, and likened the
results of the destruction of nation
altes to the deadly monotony and
silence of a cemetery. 81 should
hate to live in world where there
was no variety. But is the alterna
tive periodical wars and the use of
brute force? There are a few people,
even in the United States, who
really think there is no other way
out They think we must destroy
all rivalry, or put up with wars
with sword and gun periodically.
Can we not do our fighting with
ideas and ideals? Can't you and |
live together in Colville always
agreeing with each other; do we
have to be so agreeable that we
each murmur yes to every state
ment made by the other? The clash
of ideas is the finest kind of war
fare and the means of progress.
Reason must be the umpire.
"This is one of the most burning
questions of the hour" declared Rev.
Sykes, and said that just as the war
had entered every home, village and
countryside, so must the question
of peace touch everywhere. "There
is great tide running in tn hearts
of men,
"The methods our fathers utilized
to put the world in order have failed
We have not put the world in order.
We may have succeeded in short
periods, but we want something
more permanent. The representa-
tives of the nations have offered
US a plan for attaining this hope.
We should be friendly toward it.
1t is worth the experiment. 1t is
the legislative response to the worlds
hopes, not fears"
The reading of the preamble to
the constitution for league of
nations, was followed by a review
of the outstanding features of the
constitution itself, with special en-
phasis on the parts relating to the
doing away with secret treaties, the
domination of smaller nations by
the larger in order to preserve a
balance of power, and the fact that
the Monroe doctrine was not to be
done away with, but to be applied
to the world.
In speaking of labor unrest and
revolutionary tendencies, the speak
er advocated a "sane liberalism" by
those who wished to see world of
happiness and opportunity. He
urged that people must remember
that there are the reactionary ele-
ments which furnish the ammuni-
tion for blowing up society in revo-
lutions and that those who pile bur-
dens on the bent backs of the people
must answer for what occurs when
the bent backs lift to throw off the
hated burden.
An attentive audience heard Rev.
Sykes and expressed real delight in
the opportunity to hear this timely
subject so ably discussed.