Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-04
Why Business Men Abbroue
The League of Nations

AS evidence of the fact that the people of
the United States are deeply interested in the
League of Nations, he cites figures prepared
at his request by an advertising expert, show
ing that the newspapers of this country are
devoting every day to the League Of Nations
an amount of space which at advertising rates
would be worth one million dollars, while the
magazines are devOting to It an amount OF
space worth half million dollars day. This
footS up a total of five hundred million dol
lars year, given to the subject of the League
of Nations in newspaper and magazine space
It is hardly necessary to point out that the
newspapers and magazines do not devote
such enormous space to matter in which the
people are not interested.
The cost Of the war has been stupendous
When the figures put on paper they
stagger the mind. That such vast wealth
could be destroyed an6 still leave the world
in a solvent condition would have been re-
garded as impossible few years ago. ~, The
world can restore this wasted wealth, but
years of hard work and constant saving will,
be- required to do it. The restoration will in
yolve such an imposition of taxes as the
world never knew in the halcyon days of
p lace.
On top of this burden of taxation, which
the people are ready tt pay willingly ii. they
have an assurance that such an agony OF SUI
fering and sacrifice will not have to be re-
peated there cannot oe imposed an additional
burden to maintain ornaments Yet this
added burden will inevitably follow the con-
clusion of peace unless the League OF Ma
lions puts limit on almaments and enIorceS
that limit. And so the business man IS
obliged to face the proposition of impossible
tax burdens as the only alternative OF
League of Nations. Impossible AK burdens
inevitably will result III discomfort, and dls-
content in the present state OF Things VIII
very likely end in revolution. so looking
at it from the most material standpo1nt-1n
oh
in this connection, eve find that we must
either get this League of Nations approved
by our Senate or we shall get inevitably thls
heavy taxation which means discomfort ana
revolution an. eventually war"
Another problem to which the attention OF
the Southern Congress was directed IN thls
remarkable address is the problem OF food
In Europe the people are on the verge OF
famine Little nations emerging from the
war will be obliged, through their new anu
feeble governments, to provide their people
with :; plenty to eat The best informed
Students of the situation agree that interna-
tional cooperation offers the only posslole
means of providing and distributing an aae-
ouate food supply. If one nation gets great
or supply of food than it needs, Wnlle an
other nation gets smaller supply tnen 800 1.o
neonle are obliged to have, it does not take
a o7sophet to foreten what the result Will pe
in the present fluctuating and dangerous SCaUe
of mind of the European peoples:
Similar to food is the raw material prop-
lem. The nations Of Europe Impoverished ny
war are compelled to secure a su1ncleht sup
n1v of raw materials to keep their industries
Going TO keep their workmen employed
IdIeness inevitably will bring d1sconteht
Jdleness coupled with hunger is certain TO
let loose, tide of revolution that might
sweep the continent and eEgult the world
These, therefore, are some OF the reasons
WHY a business man cannot afford to oppose
the LEAGUE of Nations. The wastage Oh war
n,uet be restored, and there must be ar
a3rroTlants to prevent the further Durden
Of armament taxes The peoples OF Europe
must be supplied with food and with "a"
materials. The facts are too PLAIN TO oe
ignored. They are too plain to be open to
even One does not nave 10 De
q business man to perceive the SITUATION ANY
man or woman who reads The papers anu
periodicals and keeps informed on the STU
alton in the world today is capable OF per-
ceiving that steps must be taken to safeguard
humanity against future wars
In their last analysis, the so-called argu-
ments being advanced in the Senate against
the League of Nations come down TO CHe
proposition that the United States ought TO
back out of Europe and let the nations anu
peoples over there look out loi themselves,
while we over here return to that splendld
isOIation'' which does not exist and has not
existed since the steamship was invented ana
the cable was laid.
If the Senators opposing the League OF
Nations mean anything at all, they mean
that America went into the war because OF
purely selfish motives, and not for the rea-
son that liberty and justice were Imperfect
bv Germany; that America believes in free
lom only for herself, and has no concern 10f
the fate of any friend or neighbor; that
America is too selfish and cowardly to play
a mans part in the worlds affairs; that
America shall continue to be in the world
but not of the world; that America is not
willing to trust a League of Nations for tear
the other Powers entering into the Covenant
are plotting to lead her into dark alley ana
shoot her in the back.
A.ut even if America had no ideals, even
f America had set up a light which was
meant only to light the pathway OF her own
people, even if America were looking at the
present world situation from no better stand
point than utter self-interest, as nation OF
sane people with eyes open to the facts OF
the world situation she could not do other
wise than insist safeguard against future
war as the first work Of the Paris Peace
Conference.
Some of the gentlemen In the Senate may
not have learned yet how the American peo-
pie think and feel on this supreme question,
but sooner or later they are going tC find out
that the spirit of the country will not toer-
ate opposition to the well-considered plan
which has been offered to a war-weary world
by President Wilson and the other great
statesmen assembled in Paris.
And yet there we're some people who doubt
ed whether the president ought to go to
France.