Imperial Valley press., 1919-04-22

IEuG tlat is III 0~4Ilioil VI lhs pl W.
lem OF preventing war. II is merely
putting things back into the cordl-
tiCn that they were IN before Ger
many began this T. rrltlc conflict. Ii
we are willing to help remove from
mankind the fearful scourge of waI
we must play our part IN removing
it wherever it may exist.
Otler opDor ents suggest that we
should not formally join a League
but can take part in future Eu-
rorean war if needed, as we did this
time. They say, let the nations over
there fight among themselves. and
when we are drawn in, we will fight
tco. In this war we got off very
Tightly, in comparison with the Eu-
Korean belligerents. There are in
America only a hundred thousand
mothers who have lost their sons
and perhaps twice as many of our
best Young men wounded, many Of
them manned and sufferers for life.
There are desolate widows and orph-
ans. Why not let it happen again,
with perhaps ten times as many cas-
ualties? Oh. yes, why not? Is not
| this better than trying to prevent
way? Besides, some country may be
devastated. asNBelgium and parts Of
France were. without our being
drawn in; and then we may make
money by the trade in munitions and
! fosdstuffs. WHY not? Is not this
better than preventing war?
The Covenant Is Imperfect, But in
Principle Right.
The Covenant is not perfect; it IS
dl aft published for criticism and
will receive plenty of it, and through
criticism some improvement also.
But even when perfected it Will not
be perfect Nothing human Is per
feet; still more, it will not satisfy
everybody In the nature of things
It is an attempt to harmonic the
views cf many nations and of many
people within each nation. It IS
compromise between these views, and
compromise is the very life blood OF
all legislation, where the unsatisfac
tory, and the evil if you will, must
he taken with the good, ana for the
sake of the greater good. The Cove
nant is imperfect and poorly drawn,
but is framed on the right lines. The
substance of the plan, the principles
on which it is founded, are correct
and should be improved and accept
ed.
No great advance. no great step
forward. has ever been taken by men
without hesitation and without OPP
position. The Constitution of the Unit
ed States was wrung from the grind
ing necessity of a reluctant people;
but the far-sighted, sanguine. bold
statesmen of that day were right in
trying a great experiment, and they
tried it with success. The America
of their descendants has not become
timid. The cid idealism, the old fire,
the old aspiration for something
greater and better in the world, the
generosity that is willing that others
should share the prosperity and peace
that we enjcv, has not died out
The Decision We Must Make.
The war has taught us some things
which we hardly understood before.
One is the cruelty, the suffering, the
devastation, the horror of modern
war, and the absolute necessity OF
stopping it if civilization is to be pre-
served. Another thing the war has
taught us--which we saw but dimly
befcre-is that we have became a
great nation and an inseparable part
of the world.
With the closer contact with Eu-
ape which the progress OF science
has brought about through the more
rarid transportation of news, OF
things and of men, the days of Amer
ican isolation have passed away for
ever. The numbers and intelligence
! cf our people and the resources OF
our land have made US potentially
the most powerful people upon earth.
We cannot change it if we would,
nor can we escape what it implies.
We cannot move the world or our
/ country backward, and it is unwlse
when we cannot help moving to look
the other way The destin'' of Amer
ira is forward. and We must look
ahead.
( War can. in large measure, be pre-
vented, and certainly such wars as
we have just shuddered at can be
prevented; but this can be done only
{ by a League, and League powerful
enough for the purpose is possible
only if our country plays its part.
The hour is rapidly approaching when
we must decide whether our country
shall take its place, like a great and
generous nation. side by side with
others as guardians Of law. order
ard justice in the world. or whether
it shall turn it's face away from a
world in agony When / hear Sen
atcr Borah, who doubtless thinks
himself a good judge of the political
atmosphere, say that if the Saviour
should revisit the earth and declare
for a League of Nations, he would
oppose it. am reminded of saying
of that Saviour:
aye can discern the face of the sky;
can We not discern the signs of the
I tines"
The PRESIDING OFFICER.
Under the arrangement for the
discussion Senator Lodge viii have
half an hour to close.
/ SENATOR LODGE.
In Rebuttal.