Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-03

~ the hillside or the ancient IortreSS
of valerien, overlooking the graves
~ of Americas soldier dead in France,
President Wilson declared in his heart
moving address on Memorial Day:
sIt is for us to use our proper weap-
ons of counsel and agreement to see
to it that there never is such war
again. The nation that should now fling
ont of this common concord of counsel
would betray the human race. So 1t is
our duty to take and maintain SAFE
guards that the mothers of America,
and the mothers of France and England
and Italy and Belgium and all other
suffering nations shall never be called
upon for this sacrifice again.
No rational man, we take it, would gain
say the compelling Brightness and wisdom OF
these words. No sane mind that mas thoughC
upon the worlds distress and agony borne
since that Hateful summer of 1914 could
deny the imperative duty of all peoples
doing their utmost to prevent recurrence
of the tragedy. Seven million soldiers In
their graves, and millions more manned and
torn! Innumerable civilians dead, and in
comparably worse than dead-homeless, be-
reft doomed to lives of misery! Two hun
dred billion dollars of accumulated wealth
DESTROYED The fairest fruits of civilization
trampled down and her dearest hopes dis
heartened! If it is not incumbent upon all
able means untried to safeguard humanity
against such another curse, then there is
no moral duty whatsoever and no destiny
for man higher than the beasts
This is the heart of the issue with which
the United States Senate is confronted in the
League of Nations That covenant repre-
sents the best thought of the worlds best
craftsmanship applied to the problem of pre-
venting war 1t represents the only plan to
that end upon which the nations associated
for the defense of freedom and for the estaD-
lishment of durable peace can agree. 1t
represents the sole means whereby America
at this critical juncture can cooperate in per-
petuating the principles which her soldiers
died for and in bringing to pass that better
world order on which all feeling hearts are
SET Granted that the covenant has defects
and uncertainties, granted that it is expert
mental and may prove to be disappointing,
nevertheless is it not worth trying If it holds
out any reasonable hope whatsoever of say
ing mankind from another Deluge of Blood?
Had the sort of objections which Senator
Lodge and his followers now urge against
the League of Nations prevailed in 1887
there would have been no Federation, no
Constitution, no United States of America.
The steps which the fathers of the Republic
had the faith and courage to take in that
uncertain dawn were more DUBIOUS by Tar
than the plan we are called upon to try in
this determining hour of human history. Ii
we are so fearsome, so selfish, SO stupid as
to enter upon no effort for human welfare
until we have an absolutely faultless plan
and can see every inch of the way to an alb
solutely perfect outcome, then are we griev-
ously lacking in the spirit of which America
was born and in which she has so gloriously
achieved.
Let the League covenant be ratified and
it's principles given chance That is the
only course consistent either with the COM
monest of common sense or with the highest
of high obligations.