The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-08
B. 6.
I MADE MASTERFIu
ADDRESS HERE

HERE
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to the service of him whose birth was
thus glorified, it is permissible to
discuss the efforts of our representa-
tives at Paris who are striving SC
earnestly to bring about a permanent
peace.
A few weeks ago the text of the
Constitution of the League of Nations
was published. Speaking for my sin
gle self, l am glad that it has been
subjected to the criticism which has
followed. There are two classes OF
critics of this proposed League who
have occupied much space in the pub.
lie prints. One reasons thus: "Pres.
dent Wilson is always wrong He is
for this League of Nations. There
fore, the League is wrong" The 9TH
er frames his syllogism thus, "Pres.
ident Wilson is always right. He is
for this League of Nations. There.
fore, the League is right" In my
opinion, both of these worthless are
equally unsafe guides. President
Wilson is not always wrong, neither
is he always right, but surely all gooc
men must agree that the purpose
which inspires him and the end which
he is so earnestly striving to affair
are not only right, but in addition
and far and away beyond all forme,
international effort, are consumma.
tons most devoutly to be wished
Let me read the preamble of the Lea.
que constitution:
I COVENANT.
Preamble: In order to promote in.
ternational cooperation and to pro.
cure peace and security by the &C.
ceptance of obligations not to resort
to war, by prescription of open, jus,
tions, by the firm establishment o.
law as the actual rule of conduct
! among governments and by the main.
tenance of justice and scrupulous
respects for all treaty obligations II
the dealings of organized people:
with n another, the Powers sigma.
tory to. the covenant, adopt this Con
stitution Of the League of Nations
Who is it in the human form that
wears a heart who can take issues
here? -.
The purpose of this proposed Lea.
que has divine. endorsement and il
all the men who sit around that table
in Paris were blessed with Washing.
TONS wisdom, with Washington's
.Isincerity, and with Washington's
courage that purpose would be writ.
ten effectively throughout its pages
and the war drums throb no longe,
and the battle flags furled.
l am glad we have had the oppor.
tunity to discuss this League Con
stitution. There could be no sense
in making it public if it were not tc
invite discussion, criticism and sug.
gestions. There was no reason tc
suppose that the committee which
drafted it could at one stroke strike
off a perfect covenant. Whenever
great man has appeared in our his.
tory there have always been those
among his followers who believe him
to be infallible. This was true OF
Cleveland, to a larger degree OF
Bryan, and still larger yet of Roose-
welt, and so it is of Wilson. But
even so, the answer is that this con-
stitution was not written by Presi.
dent Wilson. 1t was written by Gen
eral SHUTS of South Africa and it is
very largely his handiwork, but that
is neither here nor there. AS much
as we desire peace, there are some
things we are not willing to surren-
der to secure it, one of these is what
we generally call "The Monroe Doc
trine." president Wilson and Mr..
Taft and a number of other very en-
inent men insist that so far from sur
rendering the Monroe Doctrine this
League Constitution strengthens and
extends it. Well this is true in a
sense because the Monroe Doctrine
only declared against the forcible ex-
tension by any European government
of its political system on this CONT
nent, and the League Constitution
prohibits that by providing for the
preservation of the territorial inte-
gritty Of all counties both on this con-
tinent and everywhere else as we'll.
But this is just another illustration
of the old adage "the letter killeth, the
spirit giveth life".. The world has
grown greatly since 1928. The dan
ger forseen by Monroe then is now
not only from Europe but from Asia
as we'll. When Commodore Perry
forced Japan to lay aside the habits
of the hermit and take her proper
place in the family of nations, he
aroused a sleeping lion, a lion with
real claws and sharp teeth. I take
it that no one would be willing to see
lower California or Sonora, or either
or both pass to japan, and the objec-
ton would be just and vital if she
acquired that sovereignty by purch-
as by conquest. Undoubtedly
under all international law, Mexico
would have the right to cede to Japan
a part of her territory, just as Den
mark two or three years ago coded
to us the Virgin Islands down in the
Caribbean Sea- But no American
would stand for it and in my opinion
American should stand for it.
Yet if that thing should happen and
should refuse as we undoubtedly
refuse to submit the question