The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-09-12
LEAGUE FULFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says DemOCra.
Cies Replaced AutoCraCies
at Our Bidding.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHIEF.
Unges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty VIII Collapse
Without League Of
Nations.

Herbert Hoover is so deeply con-
cerned over the opposition TO the
League Of Nations in the United
States that he has let himself be in
teryIewed at length on the League sit
uatlon. In q talk with the New York
Times correspondent In Paris, the
Food Administration Chief asserts that
having caused the League idea 10 pre-
vail America cannot abandon it. We
cannot withdraw, he says, and leave
Europe TO chaos. ITO abandon the
League Covenant now means that the
treaty Itself will collapse"
Mr.. HoOyer's wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad,
his reputation as an administrator, a
man Of great affairs who deals with
facts, not theories, make his state
ment n Of the most important CON
trlbutions TO the recent League discus
slons.
There are one or two points In con-
nectlOn with the present treaty" said
Mr.. Hoover, that need careful consld-
Grafton by the American public. We
need to digest the fact that we have
for a century and a half been advo-
eating democracy not only as u
remedy for the internal Ills Of all so
ciety, but also as the only real safe
guard against war. We have believed
and proclaimed, in season and out,
that q world in which there was a
free expression and enforcement Of
the will of the majority was the real
basis Of government, was essential for
the Advancement Of civilization, and
that we have proved its enormous hu-
m&n benefits In our country.
American Ideas Have Prevailed.
I'VE went into the war TO destroy
autocracy as a menace to our own and
all other democracles. II we had not
come into the war every inch of Euro
pean soil today would be under auto.
cratic government. We have imposed
our will on the world. Out of this
victory has come the destruction OF
the four great autocracies in Ger.
many, Russia, Turkey and Austria and
the little %autocracy In Greece. New
democracies have sprung into being III
Poland, Finland, Ietvla, Lithuanla
Esthonla, CzechoslOvakla, Greater
Serbia, Greece, Siberia, and ever Ger
many and Austria have established
democratic governments. BeyonC
these a host OF small republics, sucf
as Armenia, Georgia, A~zerbaijan ant
others, have sprung up, and again a
a result of this great world movement
the constitutions Of Spain, Rumanla
and ever England, have made a fina
ascent to complete franchise and de
mocracy, although they still malntall
a symbol Of royalty.
eve have been the living spring 70
this last century and half from whicl
these Ideas have sprung, and we hav.
triumphed. The world today, excep
for a comparatively few reactlonar,
and communlstic autocracles, is den
o%cratlc, and we did It.
"a man who takes a wife an
blesses the world with several infant
cannot 20 away and leave them 0
the claim that there was no legal maj
? rlage.
These infant democracies All hay
political, social and economic prof.
lens Involving their nelghbors tbs
: are fraught with the most lntens
/, friction, There are 40 natural boun,
, aries In Europe, Races are net cen
. pact they blend at every border. The
need railway Communication aud Sc
! outlets through their neighbors' terri
tory.
! MANY OF these states must for II
. next few years struggle almost Il
/ bare bones to maintain their yer
existence. Every one OF them Is e
r ing to do It's best; to protect lis ow
h interests, even to the prejudice Of 4
! neighbors.
Governments Lack Experience.
1--WE In America should l~elxs III