The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-26
THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE.

exercise complete and exclusive control its policies
in dealing with other nations, whether it will bind it
self to relnqush that control in of any disputes
that may lead to war and in other cases in which it
called upon to defend other nations from external ag
gression
The essence of the issue is the control of the will of
the United States. Shall that control be in America,
exercised exclusively by and for Americans, shall it
be transferred council of representatives of foreign
governments?
There be lodging of this issue in the final show
down. The League of Nations depends upon the actual
ty of Americas surrender of its free will If the United
States retains its unrestricted control of its own policy
the League of Nations will not survive Its existence
depends upon the vitality which it draw from this
and other nations AS the United States overshadows all
other nations at this time the denial of vital flow of
feblood from the veins of this country into the veins
of the league that the league will perish
The proposed treaty of alliance with France
example of the attempted mortgage of the free will
of the United States in vital 1t provides that
the United States shall Immediately go to the support
of France in of unprovoked aggression by Germany
for expedng the action that the United States would
be bound to take in any event under the covenant We
do not pause to dwell upon the tweededum and tweede-
dee of morally bound" and legally bound" for if the
United States makes any promises at all it makes it in
good faith.
Now, is France or the United States the best judge
of the time manner and extente of American assist
ance in case of need? We hold that France infinitely
better assured of the support of the United States with
out treaty than with treaty limits the parties
while friendship spurns limitations and is proud of ex-
tending its bestowals beyond all expectations France
did not expect to 1000 900 American soldiers her
soil fighting in her behalf but they went there eagerly
and in obedience to any treaty treaty would have
given politicians in France opportunity to make cap
tal of the alliance and to shirk their duties and re-
sponsbiities and this side it would have been bone
Of contention by the pro-German and proally elements
at time when the country had not made up its mind
as to its duty
France was asked to commit herself in advance
to certain plan for helping the Poles who had shed
blood in her behalf She decided that she could best
befrend the Poles by reservng to herself entire freedom
of will and action The incident is well set forth in
Lamartines address to deputation of Poles, in 1848
when Lamartine minister of foreign affairs in the
newly-created provisional government of the republic
The address may be found at page 1877 in volume VII
of 1.-THE Worlds Famous Orations" of which William
Jennings Bryan was cditor-in-chef. Lamartine said:
"France you not only good wishes and tears,
but moral and eventfu assistance in return for the
Polish blood with which you have believed every bat
tefeld in Europe during our great wars France
will pay her debt; rely on that; trust to the hearts
of thirty-sx millions of Frenchmen. Only leave to
France that which exclusively belongs to her-the
season. the moment and the form, of which Provi-
dence shall determine the choice and suitability to
restore you without aggression boodshed to that
place which is your due in the catalogue of nations.
"The provisional government will not suffer its
policy to be changed by foreign nation, however
great the sympathy that may be inspired Poland
is dear to u.s. Italy is dear to u.s. all oppressed peoples
are dear to us, but France to is dearer than all,
and the responsibilities of her destnies and possibly
those of Europe rest with us. 4
"We Frenchmen have not to consider the in
terests of Poland alone; we nave to consider the
universally of that European policy which corre-
spends to all the horizons of France.
ION the day when it shall seem to us that the
moment has arrived for the resurrection of nation
unjusty effaced from the map we shall hasten to its
assistance. But have reserved to ourselves that
which pertains to France alone-the choice of time,
justice and the which would make it our duty
to interfere.
Americans would not accept any limitation upon their
Independence in 1875. They would not agree to any
Intervention by Europe in 1862. They insisted upon be-
riendng neighborng people in $685. whether Europe