Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-19
Greatest Experiment Of All tho Ages

Greatest Experiment OF III the Ages
( A SOLEMN and suspicious hour was struck
~ 10 the history OF mankind with tho pub
licatiop OF tho provisions laid down in tho
constitution drawn up at Paris for the league
oil nations. With it there was launched upon
the tide OF human events ono of tho greatest
experiments of tho ages. The measure OF it's
success no man can forcte,l. Time and cir
cnmstancc alouc eau test its worth It's prom
Use IS no greater anu no less than he promise
that was held out to those who 1870 years
ago iaunched upon the uncharted seas of
destiny tho American Constitution But
whether or not il succeods IL cannot be de-
nied that bouud up within this now cove
napt Is the one great hope OF mankind tho
world over, the hope OF a lasting peace
10 those who dcrided all thought OF a
ieaeuc Oh nations IS commended the fact that
throughout tue league constitution there runs
very practical appropriations not ONLY or The
nlhcultles TO he met but Of the manner i'm
"hich their solution can best be effected .
Aruclc VIII, which deals with the matter
OF disarmament, is case in point II is con
7c!inG no new thought TO say that this war
nad IT'S origin in the spirit of militarism fos-
tered In Germany And what wcro tho elc
pcnts ~ Germany that fattcncd moro on the
CROWN OF that spirit? Wcro they not tho
private enterprises Of the Krupps and others
VINO MADE fortunes i'll selling the TRAININGS
or war to the Kaiscr's government. The in
terest Of these elements was at one with The
spirit OF militarism. for the large the mill
tary arma ments Of Germany were made tho
fatter the dividends OF the Krupps and their
clan Thus il was to their interest to keen
The Kaiser, who incidentally owned stock
in the frupp works at Essen, forever ra,tIinp
the saber aud forcing the other nations or
europe to enter the competition in arma
ments rake away in all countries the on
portunitF Tor private profits out of large mil
itarE establishments, and the incentive for
making tue world an armed camp is largely
removed reduce armaments and the temp
tat1on to use them is weakened The pistol-
toter inevitably gets into trouble.
Inc articles providing for arbitration. or
INQUIRY py the executive council into all mat
ters OF dispute arising between any Of tho
contracting powers, is an application on =
universal scale OF arbitration treaties that
have long been in existence between indi
Viduai nations like the United States and
treat Britain. The first of such treaties WIS
regarded as chimerical and impractical vet
Tor los years the United States and Great
britain nave been able to settle amcably by
arbitration many knotty disputes that have
arisen between them, including boundary
questions and the Alabama claims. Arbitrn-
liou ndS become ono OF the commOnest re-
sorts in the settlement OF all kinds of dis
putes, private as we'll as public, and there
Is no warrant for belief that it will fail
when adopted as policy by the leading ma
tons of the world
The fact that International police force
has been set up to enforce the decisions OF
the league by no means foredooms it TO fail
urc IN the hrst place, it, is coyenanted that
all member nations shall mmedia tey become
party to general economic boycott OF
recalcitrant power, a measure which as
shown in the case OF Germany was most
drastic in its effectiveness Whether Joint
military measures would be undertaken and
their extent, it undertaken, would be deter
mined by the executive council--nominally
Normally because actually the decision in
every such case must and should depend on
the force OF world public opinion. So that
the extent TO which the league is going 10
be backed up is going to depend on the OK
tent to which its decisions inspire public con
fdencs throughout the world. Public con
fdence is never far from the side OF funda-
mental right and justice, and where right aud
justice are clearly at issue with wrong anC
injustice. the free peoples OF the world will
not hesitate to give the support required
There was time when a man considered
dispute other than by tiueling, and he con
sidered it utterly repelcnt TO his honor 10
! have recourse TO any other mode OF arbit-
rament. Today such would be hanged
AS men change, nations change, though
the process may be slower