Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-06-13
NO AMERICAN LEAGUE ARMY

/, There can be no American army
! maintained at the command Of an alien
League That is afact which ought to
be clearly understood both by foreign
ers who In good faith desire such an
n army and do not understand how i'm
4 possible II is. and sun more by Amerf-
casn who for any purpose are seeking
10 have II formed through some sop
histicai huggermugger.
! We were told the other day that IL
was being planned at Paristhat we
should maintain an army Of at least
! half n million men for the league of
nations TO use whenever II pleased. 10
which It was added that the army could
thus he used after authorization OF
such action by the United States Sen
ate" Where that preposterous notion
arose we do not know. II is conceiva-
BILE that there are some persons in the
world so ignorant as to imagine that a
treaty aegociated by the President and
ratified by the Senate could compel US
to wage war wherever some League
OF Nations asked us to? To rational
men IL is unbelievable that the Senate |
would ever ratify such a treaty. and |
II Is quite certain that II it did, the |
thing would not be worth the paper |
on which it was written. II is not the |
President nor the Senate. nor both OF
them together. but Congress that has
the sole power TO declare war, to raise
and support armies. to provide and
maintain a navy. and to make rules
for the government and regulation
OF such forces. No treaty can override
or anaul the Constitution of the United
States.
II is an ironicai feature of the case
that this scheme is advocated by some /,
who have been loudest against great
standing armies and strongest against
militarism III IL were to be proposed I
that the United States should maintain
a standing army of half a million mel
for its own security which is the only Z
reason for its maintaining any army .
there would be Wild mutations of dis
approval and dismay at such mon .
strous "militarism" We should be told .
that there was no possible need for
such an army; that we were not and =
never could be in such danger as would (
warrant IL. Yet let 1t be proposed that '.
ve maintain an RAINY to be used any 3
where from Kamchatka to Cape Horn. 4
o fight In quarrels to which we We're :.
Tot a party, at the mandate OF some :,
oreign Power. and that is applauded as 4
he qufatessence OF wisdom and ben
violence and the very beauty of hol- 4,
ness. -
Let II be understood that we SYM =
athize very heartily and very deeply
18th France in her wish to be secured :
gainst another irruption of the linus.
We know how terribly she has suf- ---
rcd In the past from those barbaria1s,
nd we realize that while we are three
iousand miles away from them. she is VI
)Omcd to live for all time ut their very ot
de. We are with her, heart and soul,
every possible contrivance for pro-
citing her and for making the Blond va
east harmless. We wish that we had
lshed to her aid more quickly than
g did. and that we could have allied
lr troops with hers at the first Marine La
1914. instead of waiting until the last
arne in 1918. But not even for
ance's sake can we consent to aban !
N the basic principles of our republic. 10
lould we do so. we should destroy our MAJ
lue as an ally and thus defeat the
ry end for which the thing was done. pa
II IL be said, as some are with reason IN
wing, that without such an army the Di'
ague of Nations win be worthless Tor
shall not dispute the proposition. nan
II this Is an argument against the dir
aEuei anu not III IANoi VI an AAhti- ~
w army of en-ied mercenaries. ser
at consideration Is TO be commended VII
those who have insisted that nations IN
III renounce alliances and balances you
power and all other devices for pro- you
tion. and shall trust for salvation pia
ely in a League OF Nations. Before the
y presented the League in such n aga
,acity. they should have made certain pial
4 il could and would be effective. 1
I would doubtless be a fine thing to BON
70 such an international army of the
millions constantly at the beck CON
| call OF a President of the World"
/ that the sober sence OF IN Amrican Dis
lie win ever countenance our lend 1913
ourselves to IL. or that their rep Att,
entatives in Congress will ever con- docl
{ thus TO iInperil the integrity and dres
udiate the principles of the republic, JelS
"
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