The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-03-28

Editor OF Iribune.-Dear Sir: Being
a staunch Republican and constan
reader of your paper | have beer
much interested in your stand on the
League of Nations idea. ! notice thai
you are not as radical as the Idaho
legislature / say radical because II
seems to me that the better thought
and Judgment of the country, as well
as the wishes of the majority of the
people are for some sort OF league
for the preservation of peace and any
thing entirely opposed to that, as the
expression of the legislature, which
went on record as against league OF
any kind, is of radical nature.
say, | notice that you are not as
radical as that but still. l take it from
opinions expressed by you, that you
believe that any league which the peo-
pie of the United States will ratify
will be so weak and Intellectual as to
amount to no league at all. Now,
will agree with you that the constitu-
ton of the league as drawn UP at
present is not satisfactory, one OF
many rea sons for which will state in
a few words.
Thus far. in Europe, for the preser-
walton of peace there has been tried
only what is known as the Balance OF
Power system 1t has failed dismally
and according to the opinion of some
of us is always doomed to failure 1t
is universally agreed in the United
States that we do not want to get
mixed up in such system. say il
is universally agreed so and were Mr.
Wilson to say that that is what he is
getting us into he would be universally
condemned Of course, he does not
say so but whatever he says, it seems
to me that that is exactly and precise
ly what he is getting US into. The
league as present constituted consists
of five major nations. All of the
smaller nations including Russia
Germany and Austria are left out Any
group of nations which seeks to en-
force its DEGREES upon nation which
has no representation at the council i:
doomed to failure. 1t may be wei
enough for a court to enforce man
date issued against member of the
council; but mandate issued against
a non-member of the council, which
has no representation and which is
bound implicitly to obey simply be-
cause of the greater strength of the
council is tyranny of the worst and
most contemplate form. Hence I be-
lieve that the present draft of the
league is wrong and should be re-
pudiated. Justice and equality de-
mands that each and every nation
k1f, ~ fta
and league to be successful must be
founded on justice and equality.
But, even though we condemn the
present plan, | cannot agree with you
in that, "Any league which the people
of the United States will ratify will
be weak and Intellectual" On an ar
gument as to whether we should have
a League of Nations or not is seems
to me that we can start out with two
assumptions:
First, that all wars are bad in their
inception. Either one side or the
other must be in the wrong For in
stance, in the last war, we will all
agree that the United States was right
in entering the war and so we will all
agree that Germany was wrong in
starting it. will admit that on both
sides the participants may think they
are right but as matter of principle
both sides cannot be right
Second, that every man and woman
in the United States wishes to do away
with all wars. whether that is pos
sible or not is another question;) but
| believe that you will agree with me
that no person will say that he be-
lieves in war, simply as war, and not
as necessary means of protection or
gaining right.
Then, granting that all wars are
bad in their inception and that all peo-
pie wish for cessation of all war the
question resolves itself into; which is
the best method Of obtaining that end,
or at least, of approaching as nearly
as can be to the desired end? In
pursuing the object of universal peace
the United States has a choice of sew
eral methods which as | see it NAV
be reduced to chiefly two, the first Of
which is, the use of their old policy of
staying strictly out of European ,af-
fairs, stand squarely on the Monroe
Dictrine, and make adequate prepara-
tons to preserve the peace on this
continent without thought as to what
happens on any other. That policy has
worked well in the past but there are
some troubles connected with its
workings in the future The United
States has suddenly become a world
power of the first magnitude. Rather
it has been growing so for a century
but we are just beginning to realize it.
Thus far the country has been large
enough to simply grow within itself:
from now on it will grow without. We
are entering on an era of trade ex-
pansion which will include all the
world. Trade rivalries will be get
ting more keen. competition will in
crease at a tremendous rate and unless
the United States wants to withdraw
from the field entirely it will have to