Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-09
PART OF WHAT IT MEANS.
Our Boys Might Be Called to Help Stop
ID Wars Now Going On.


ment under which they could not cleo
their President, their Congress or theil
Governors they would unhesitatingly
reject it and condem to private life al
one who had proposed it.
If there is any one principle more
thoroughly established than another II
the minds of the American people anc
if there is any one principel more es
sentiaI than another to the preservation
of free government it is this-that
public servants and public officials must
be elected by the people for limited
term ana threby return again to the
people for the approval or the rejection
of their public service. This is SO ak
matte, so universally accepted that
it seems presumptous to call attention
to it.
And yet it is now proposed to place
in the hands of five or at most nine
men greater power than was ever
given to any nine men in the history OF
the world and these nine men are
neither selected or elected bys the peo-
pie.
They will not be subject to check or
control by the people. And yet these
same nine men are entrusted with such
power that either directly or indirectly,
by authority either expressed or i'm
piled, they can commit the American
people to a state of war.
In my opinion the only way TO ad-
vance the cause of peace is to bring
the power to declare war nearer to the
people.
If | had my way | would write into
the Constitution of the United States
that in all cases, except in cases of
actual invasion, no war should be de-
cIared without vote of the people.
But it is now proposed to remove still
further from the the people the power
to say whether or not there shall be
peace or war. lhe public voice is to
be silenced entirely. these nine men
sitting BEND closed doors in Europe,
thousands of miles from those which
they represent and in no wise respon-
sible to the people, may. under the
authority granted by the League,
through intrigue or manipulation or
express power, cause the American
,oys to i-As<t Aalt into any cline Of ff- En
'ope or Asia as soldiers, or had we bet
er say as policeman for some foreign
ration.
We have had some experience with
similar plan. The American boys
lave been sent to Russia and thousands
ire now in Siberia. Who sent them
here and why were they sent2
We are told by the public press that
President Wilson did not want them to
20, but owing to an understanding or
which he had with Japan,
england and France he finally yielded
md the American boys are there
and dying for cause in
which we are in no wise interested.
1t is simply legalized murder. And
'et this is the principle upon which a
league of Nations represented by
his council in no wise responsible to
he people will work.
In article X of this proposed COW
nant IS provided that we shall guar
ntee against external aggression the
erritorial integrity and political indie
endence of all members of the
league.
Mr.. Bonar Law stated in the House
f Commons few days ago that there !
re twenty -one wars now on in Europe.
Mr.. Simonds, the famous war cores
ondent, gives a list of eighteen.
he New TYork ines few days ago
udlished list Of sixteen.
1t is safe to say that there are from
fteen to twenty wars now going on in
Europe in practically all of which are
nvolved the question of territorial in
egrity and political Independence.
These nine men, this council of the
eague, would have Immediate consern
18th reference to all these wars.
hey would advise what number of
lldiers shall be sent and where sent to
erform our contract under Article
:. and, we having agreed that the
0uncil should advise, would be com
elled by every sense of honor and
1ty to comply with that advice.
The American people can easily see
DIV much chance their sons would
ave acting under the unlimited dis
'etion of this conclave of ambassa-
1rs sitting in Geneva and calling upon
le young men of America to do sol
ers' service and police duty in all the
terminable broils and disturbances of