The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-07
The Magma Charta of the Week
New York World. )


No other provision of the covenan mt
of the league OF nations has been SUBJ
jected to such passionate attack as
Article X: yet Article X represents the
longest step forward that has ever
been taken in international relation
ships. II is the Magma Charta of the
small nations; for it lays down the
rule that wars shall not be undertaken
for purposes of conquest
Most OF it's critics, while they may
have read 1t. have apparently never
studied it or sought to understand Its
meaning. yet It is a plain statement OF
principle, as any one who is reason
ably familiar with the English lang
uage can sec for himself:
The members OF the league un-
dertake to respect and preserve
as against external aggression the
territorial integrity and existing
political independence of all
members OF the league. In case
of any such aggression or in case
OF any threat or danger OF such
aggression. the council shall adj
wise upon the means by which this
obligation shall be fulfilled.
Mr. Root and Mr.. Hughes are In
favor OF striking this article from the
covenant. which would be equivalent
to striking Thou shalt not steal from
the Ten Commandments. Such action
on the part of the senate could mean
neither more nor less than declara-
tion that as n matter of principle. al
Though not necessarily AS a matter OF
expediency. the American people be-
lieve In wars of conquest and that
they have no inherent objection to the
destruction OF the territorial integrity
and the political independence OF ma
thnt 1nt rtr srvh -
protect themselves from powerful and
INSCRIPTIONS neighbors
The alternative to Article X Is Prus-
sianism. Either we are against wars
of conquest or we are not, and II we
are against them, our antagonism mat
ters little unless we are ready to make
it effective
Article x u the embodiment .o1
the great lesson of this terrible con-
flict. which began as war of agrees
sion on the part OF a powerful country
000. 900 men have been killed, $4,000
900 or 30.000,0OO more have been
manned for life, 5000. 900. 100000 in
property destroyed and vast nations
have been wrecked the critics OF the
league of nations insist that whatever
else It tries to do the league must not
seek to do the one thing that would
avert a repetition Of this disaster. Pri-
vately we are still to be permitted to
view wars OF conquest with disapprov-
al. but this disapproval must not take
the form OF concerted action which
could prevent them.
Article X is the noblest statement
OF International policy that came out
Of the peace conference. For the first
time the great nations are committed
to the vital principle OF the Declare
ton Of dependence, and whoever re-
ally believes that the Individual has an
unalienable right to life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness must. like
wise believe that the nation to which
the individual belongs has similar
fights.
When the attacks on Article X are
aifted down they reduce themselves
to this: That a league of nations
might properly concern. itself with
any OF the causes OF war except the
most infamous cause. and that above
everything else 1t must not concern
itself with the causes OF the war that
has all but reduced civilization to
chaos