The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-06
NATIONAL FREEDOM OF ACTION.

The somewhat acute attack of apprehension the
high cost of living through which the United States is
passing ought to be useful reminder against the
folly of excessive atrusm The world is not information
allied and it cannot be nternatonalzed at this time, no
matter how ardenty the ideas may strive to that end
The nations are separate and each bent upon achieving
its own ends as it ought to be- Amy nation that wishes
to Weld its own rights or advantages without equva
lent can always find somebody who will take them.
square deal as between nations is the best that can
be hoped for by mankind 1t is the only goal that man
can reach and is difficult enough in all conscience
The merger of nations the oberaton of national differ
cnces the pooling of national rights and all other at
empts intcrnatonalize the peoples OF the world are
contrary to human nature as works in actual life.
There can be no general clearing house of the nations
with power to compel obedience by the nations for there
is no department of human nature that godke enough
30 be superior to the influence of nationalsm No man
living is SO superior to or so different from his fellows
as to be citizen of the world, as much as fellow Of
the worshppers of Africa he of the members
Of the Paris conference He necessarily coored by
his environment of nationality and language to say moth
ing of heredity Hence he is not fully trusted by man
Of another nationality in matters affecting national rights
No nation permits aliens to hold its highest Offices or to
act for it in diplomatic affairs.
By holding themselves together in close and familiar
bonds the people Of nation best fitted to maintain
their rights and deal Justly with other nations If they
should run amuck and attack their neighpors ney ar
ant to be smashed the Germans have just discovered
If they fail to guard their rights and prepare themselves
for defense they will be robbed as the Chinese nave JUS
discovered If they honest and keep themselves reao!
for defense they will usually get and give square dea
But no nation act for another nation ana no COZ
poraton of nations relieve nation OF lndepehoehc
without disaster This fact could be illustrated IN man,
wavs at this very juncture What could League o
Nations do in deciding Americas attitude toward eo
Shantung hfamy? How could League OF NauohS COM
ne America to boycott China in of an Asatc war
How long would the United States sit in a League o
Nations after it discovered that Germany resorted t.
war intrigue as soon as admitted to membership! VIVA
Congress would obedenty declare war at the dctauo
90 aaone and send American boys to kill Chinese VIII
dared to fight for the recovery OF Shantung! "ha' az
instration could survive after had insisted upon seho
inc an American army to help the Germans resist al
attack by the bolsheviki?
Every nation must act for itself in directing Its owl
affairs 1t cannot safely agree to permit League OF N"
ons to take over and dispose of any question that ma
come mn regardless of its character consequence
II is quite conceivable that serious disputes may ars
between the United States and foreign nations IN con
nection with money matters. Would the United State
in its sane moments agree that such questions should b
disposed of by foreign nations most of them lntereste
parties?
The high cost of living is world condition, but 1t coul
not be handled successfully by any League of Nations
Each nation must look out for ITSELF The United State
creditor nation and it's interests conflict with thos
of debtor nations There need be serious dispute
each nation is free to deal fairly with its neighbour bu
there would almost inevitably be serious conflict if no
war if an international body should attempt to settle tn
question The international body would be composed
majority of persons opposed to the interest of any on
nation Hence some nations would suffer, China an
italy suffered at the Paris conference The temptation
trade away the rights of nations would b
too strong to be resisted.
AS the United States does not wish to enter into an
ntrgues to take away the rights of other nations and
opposed to having any of its rights traded away
will probably decide to retain the right to transact it
own business in its own way.-Washngton Post
Sometimes the people in the country complain of tn