The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-15


ihr risk of attempting to resist
! Now, AS to the character Of the
document While 1T has consumed
time TO read this document. think you
will see at once that II is very simple.
| and in nothing. so simple as in the
structure which il suggests for
league Of natiuus--;i body Of delegates.
an executive council aud Il permanent
sccrctarint.
when il came Ia the question of de-
termininr the character of the repre-
Scntatiou in tho body Of delegates VIC
were all aware uf feeling which Is
current throughout the world.
"luasmurh as ] am stating It in the
nrcscnrc Of the official Representatives
Of the various governments here pres
rrt including myself. | may say that
! there is 4 universal feeling That the
world cannot rest satisfied with merely
official guidance. There has reached US
,hrourh many channels TN" feeling That
if the dcliheratng hndy OF inc lfaGue
of nations was merely to be hody OF
officials rcprcscutins III" various gov
crnmcnts, the peoples Of tho world
would not hc sure that some Of the mis-
lakes which preoccupicd officials had
admittedly made might not he repeated
eli WIS impossible III conceive
mrth nod or an assembly SO large and va
rious as to be really representative or
thc great body Of the peoples ot the
world. because az | roughly reckon IL
W., rcprcScnt az VIC sit around TINS table
more than twelve hundred million peo-
pio.
.'You cannot have q representative MS
scmbIy of twelve hundred million pco-
nIr hut if Won left ii to each govern
| mont to have, if il plcascs. one or TWO
or three representa- tivcs. though only
with Il single vote. itsmuy vary It's rep
rrscntatiun from time to time not only
! but il mny original the choice OF us
! several representatives.
| Wireless hero unintclliGihlro
"Thercforc we thought that this was
! n proper and very prudent concession
To the practically universal opinion OF
nlain mon everywhere that they wanted
! the door left open TO variety or rep
| rnscntntion instead of being confined
| 10 n single official body with when
they could or might not find themselves
In sympathy.
and you will notice that this body,
has unlimited rights Of discussion--i
! mean Of discussion of anything lhat
falls within the field Of international
| rclations---und that il Is espccial
agreed that war or International mis-
/
| lead 10 friction Ut trouble is every
bodv's business because il may affect
| the peace Of the world.
| and In order to safeguard the popu-
| lar power 50 far ~ We could Of inns
| representative body it Is provided YOU
will notice that when q subject is SUP
mitted il is not TO arbitration. put 10
| discussion by the executive council;
| II can, upon tho ;nitiativc Of either OF
! tho parties to the dispute be drawn
out Of the executive council on 'hc
! Inrecr form Of the general body of dele
gates because. through this instrllmcne
VIC are depending primarily ana emery
upon ono great fore" ana ms - lhG
| moral force OF tn" public opinion ot
,hc world--thr pleasing and clarifying
aud ronlnclling influences Of publicity;
! so that Iniriguns can no longer nave
! their covcr,s 81 the. designs that are
sinister can nj any lime he drawn
! into the open So that those things that
arc DESTROYED by he light may nc
promptly destroyed by the oVcrwhclm-
I ing light Of Tho universal expression OF
| III. condemnation Of the world.
| ARMED force is III the background
! I'm this program. but it is in the BACK
! ground: and II the moral force or thr
world will not suffice. the physical
| force Of the world shall. But that IS
| the last resort. because this is intendeo
MS q constitution OF peace. not as
| league OF war.
Tho simplicity OF tho document
seems to mo 10 he one OF Its chleI
| virtues, because speaking for mEsch'
! T. was unable TO sec thr variety OF cur
| cumstanccs with which this league
! would have 10 deal. I was unaDle
/ 10 thu machinery
! that might bc necessary 10 meet inc
differing and unexpected contingencies
| Therefor" / should say Of this .docu-
mrnt that il is not n straight jacket
hi, a vehicle Of life.
| Now. if 7 may believe tho picture
which I soc, there comes into Inc lore'
| ground tho great body OF the lahorIhe
| penplr of tho world, the mon and women
| md children upon whom the great bur-
! den OF sustaining thu world must from
| dav 10 day fall. whether we wish IL 10
! do so or not people who go to bed tircd
| and wake m without tho stimulation OF
lively hope. These people will be
drawn into tho field OF international
consultation and help and will b" among
tho wards Of tho combined governments
of the world. This IS. ] take leave &c
say. 4 very great stop in advance III inc
! mere conception OF that
Then. there is feature about this
| covenant which IN my mind is one OF
| greatest and most satisfactory advances
! that has been made. We are done WIN
annexations Of helpless peoples meant
| in some instances by somo powers 10 DC
used merely for exploitation. We rccog-
nize in the most solemn manner that the
hclpless and undcvelopcd peoples Of the
I,, hut
obligation upon us to look after their In
, ,crcyts primarily before VIC use them for
| our interests: and that In all cases OF
this sort hereafter it shall be the duty
| Of the league To sec that the nations
| who arc assigned as tn" tutors and nd
| yiscrs and directors of these peoples
| shall look 70 their interests and their
development before they look to the in
! tercsts and desires OF the mandatory
nation itself.
so I think 7 can say OF this docu-
! ment that it is At one and the same time
| n practical and human document.
There is pulse of sympathy in It.
There is complsion Of conscience
| throughout it. 1t is practical and yet 1t
| is intended TO purify to rcctify to ele-
vatc. And I want 10 say that SO far "a
] MY observation instrucis me this is in
J onn srnsc n hClGicd document. be-
/ licve that the conscience Of the world
has long been prepared to express itself
| in some such way.
Many terrible things have come out
| Of this war gentlemen but some very
beautiful things have come out It.
| Wrong has been defeated but the rest nf
tho world has hccn moro conscious than
| il eyer was before Of the majority OF
right People that were suspicious Of