The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05

had taken by processes of law the
flower of our youth from every coun-
trysids, from every household, and we
told those mothers and fathers and
sisters and wives and sweethearts,
that we were taking those men to
fight war which would end business
of that sort, and IL we do not end 1t,
II we do not do the best that human
concert Of action can do to end It, we
are of all men the most unfaithful--
the most unfaithful TO the loving
hearts who suffered in this war the
most unfaithful TO those households
bowed in grief. yet lifted with the
feeling that the lad laid down his life
for a great thing among other things
in order that other lads might not
have to do the same thing.
That is what the League of Ma
tons is for, to end this war Justly,
and II Is not merely to serve notice
on governments which would contem-
plate the same things which Germany
contemplated that they will do it at
their peril, but also concerning the
combination Of power which will
prove to them that they will do 1t at
their peril. II Is idle to say the world
will combine against you because II
may not. but IL Is persuasive to say
the world is combined against you
and will remain combined against
any who attempt the same things
that you attempted.
The League Of Nations Is the only
thing that can prevent the recurrence
OF this dreadful catastrophe and re-
deem our promises. And the charac-
ter OF the league Is based upon the
experience of this very war
/ did not meet a single public man
who did not admit these things, that
Germany would not have gone into
this war If she had thought Great
Britain was going into II, and that
she most certainly would never have
gone Into this war II abe had
dreamed America was going into II,
and they have all admitted that a
notice beforehand that the greatest
Powers of the world would combine
to prevent this sort of thing It would
have prevented 1t absolutely.
When gentlemen tell you, there
fore. that the League of Nations is
intended for some other purpose than
this, merely reply this to them: IF
we do not do this thing, we have neg
lected the central covenant that we
made to our people," and there will
be no statesman of any country who
can thereafter promise his people any
alienation from the perils of war.
The passions of this world are not
dead; the rivalries of this world have
not cooled; they have been rendered
hotter than ever The harness that
is to unite nations is more necessary
now than it ever was before and un-
less there Is this sureness of COM
bined action before wrong is at
tempted. wrong will be attempted
Just so soon as the most ambitious
nations can recover from the fnan-
cial stress OF this war.
Weak Nations safeEuarded.
Now look what else Is in the
treaty. This treaty is unique in the
history of mankind because the CEN
tire of 1t is the redemption of weak
nations. There never was a congress
of nations before that considered the
, rights Of those who could not enforce
their rights. There never was
congress OF nations before that did
not seek to effect some balance OF
power brought about by means of
serving the strength and interest OF
the strongest Powers concerned,
whereas this treaty builds up nations
that never could have won their free
dom in any other way. II builds
them up by gift, by largess not by
obligation; builds them up because of
the conviction of the men who wrote
the treaty that the rights of people
transcend the rights of governments,
because of the conviction Of the men
who wrote that treaty that the fertile
source of war is wrong: that the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, for ex-
ample, was held together by military
force and consisted of peoples who
did not want to live together; who
did not have the spirit of nation
ality as toward each other; who
were constantly chatting Mt the bands
that held them. Hungary. though
willing partner OF Austria, was
willing to be her partner. because she
could share. Austrias strength for
accomplishing her own ambitions and
her own ambitions were to hold I'M
der the Jugo-Slavic peoples that lie
to the south of her. Bohemia, an un-
happy partner-a partner by duress,
flowing in all her veins the strongest
national impulse that was to be
found anywhere in Europe, and north
of that pitiful Poland, great nation
divided UP among the great Powers
disregarded, natural ties treated with
contempt and an obligatory division
among sovereigns imposed upon her,
a part of her given to Russia, a part
of her given to Austria and a part or
her given to Germany and great
bodies of Polish people never per-
mitted to have the normal inter-
course with their kinsmen ror fear
that that fine instinct of the heart
should assert itself which binds FAM
lilies together. Poland could never
have won her independence. Bo-
hemia never could have broken away
from the Austro-Hungarian combina-
ton. The Slavic peoples to the south
running down into the great Balkan
peninsula had again and again tried
TO assert their nationality and their
independence and had as often peen
crushed, not by the immediate Power
they We're fighting. but by the COM
bined power of Europe The old alli-
ances, the old balances of power,
were meant to see to 1t that no little
nation asserted its rights to the dis
turbance of the peace of Europe,
and every time an assertion OF
rights was attempted they were sup
pressed by combined influence and
force, and this treaty tears away all
that and says these people have a
right to live their own lives under
the governments which they them
selves choose to set up. That is the
American principle and / was glad
TO fight for 1t and when strategic
considerations were urged I said
not alone-but 1t was a matter of
common council that strategic con-
ditlons were not in our thoughts,
that we are not now arranging for
future wars, but were giving people
what belonged to them.