The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-08-15
AMERICAN DISINTEGRATION
IMPENDS

lldJ tHe ledpue Ol HdllOnS. III
America were member OF it, would
throw European controversies into
American politics, because Of our
large foreign-born population, is the
opinion expressed by the Republican
Publicity Association i'm statement
issued by its president. Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr. The statement which
presents new view Of the league, Is
as follows:
zone Of the most vicious features
of the League of Nations, in its at
tack upon our domestic peace, is the
fact that once foreign governments
have a voice in our affairs 1t is inev-
liable that large portion of the
people of this country will divide
themselves into groups, each Ameri-
can and something else, or still more
likely, each something else first and
American afterward We have seen
something of that, surely enough to
cause us to take warning.
$50 League Of Nations, instead Of
promoting Americanism and cement
ing us into a single nation OF patriot
ic people will cause segregation in
interest of many people derived from
many nationalities of Europe, each
with reservation of mind whenever
its own foreign nations interest is at
stake. 1t will make the United States
an unthinkable sort Of nation and
one without capacity to protect
itself from diversified disloyalty
within it's borders.
"Once we are members Of the
League of Nations every other mem
Der of the league will have very
| positive interest In our domestic as
we'll as foreign affairs. Our electorate
will be OF immense interest to these
foreign governments, and next to
their own voters ours will be Of i'm
portance.
I'VE have seen enough of propa-
ganda to know that every nation de-
pending upon our support of it's own
policies will seek to shape Our public
opinion according to it's own pattern
and there will be powerful incentive
for persistent propaganda, and along
side of propaganda will go a spy system
as necessary means of directing and
giving force to propaganda. We will
be fruitful stamping ground for in
triguing diplomants and propaganda
lists from all the great Nations of the
earth. To make matters worse the
propagandiSts will have sort of
official standing under the League Of
Nations and we would find 1t difficult
TO resent their activities, although
when wholly independent Of them we
could take positive measures to sup
press them.
"We all know that when we call the
neighbors into our family quarrels
the result is a divided house. We
have had our own domestic differ
ences and have fought them out In
the forum and at the ballot box and
at the end of our most intense politi-
cal battles we have accepted the
verdict OF the ballot box until the
battle could again be waged at the
next election. All this has been in
such friendly spirit as to cause wolI-
der that the heat of political battle
could so soon be cast aside and it has
been possible because we have had
faith that whatever differences of
opinion have prevailed our people
were Americans, simply dividing in
their views as to what has been best
for the welfare of our common
country. There has seldom been any
suspicion that any portion of the
electorate has acted for'the benefit of
any foreign country
But with League of Nations there
will be very positive suspicion that
in League questions affecting the
welfare Of other countries racial
preiudices will sway otherwise well
meaning men.
This is weakness of the League
that applies to us alone among all the
nations of the earth. 1t cannot apply
to England or France or Germany or
Italy or any other member of the
League because their population has
been thoroughly nationalized by CEN
turies Of unity Of interest.
I'VE should bear in mind that a
house divided against itself must
surely fall "