Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-18
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Will 1t Assure Permanent Peace Will It Tend to War?
Analysis of the Covenant by Articles, Pres
ented by Republican Publicity
Association.

nave shown how easy it is for all
news from across the water to be
denied US when the officials so de-
cree The location of the
headquarters of the league at Geneva
simply means that the question of
our participation in world wars, of
tremendous taxation on our people.
of life or death to our soldiers and
Of our commercial relations with
other nations Of the world, are to be-
considered and determined behind
closed doors, so far as our keeping
in touch with them is concerned. Is
that state of affairs likely to promote
peace and contentment, or will it
prbably engender irritation likely
to find expresson in armed resent
ment?
Article 6 relates to disarmament.
1t provides that the council, taking
account. of the geographical situa-
tion and circumstances of each
the armies and navies of the several
nations. After those plans have
been accepted they shall not be ex-
ceeded without the concurrence of the
council. Here is the situation pr :
posed: Each nation submits report
of its military and naval strength
ne council of nine, and those gem
Il, putting their wisdom of the
affairs of all nations ahead of the
knowledge possessed by the represen-
tatives of those nations themselves,
proceed to cut down and pare away
armies and navies according to their
own conception of national needs.
England, seeing at once the danger
of such an arrangement, has made a
reservation that, no matter what is
done, the supremacy of her fleet
shall not be endangered. The Unit
ed States, on the other hand, would
be completely at the mercy of the
council, dominated as it will be by
eight foreign votes to our one. Is
that situation into which you want
to project your country, and are we
gong to accept with equanimity the
| judgment of that council when it or
ders US to dismantle our modern
battleships, remove Notifications
from our coasts and the Panama
Canal, and destroy our Army organi-
zation that has been built up al
such fearful cost? Do you believe ir
putting in the hands of foreigners
the power to run riot ad libitun
with our national defenses?
The last paragraph of Article
obligates the members of the league
to Interchange full and frank in
formation" of the Condition of sucl
of their industries as are adaptable
: to warlike purposes" Which of ou
industries is not adaptable to war
like purposes?" In the last tw,
years practically every industry il
this country has been working fo
the success of our armies, with NOR
or less direct application of its pro
duct to the actual fighting. Thi
provision of the covenant mean
nothing more or less than the pub
l lication of every trade secret tina
! enters into the success of America
i history. Even patents may be con
strued to come within the defnitio
: of "full and frank information" In
dustrially this paragraph puts on
. manufacturers completely at tn
mercy of foreign competitors VIII
care to take advantage of the oppol
tunity it affords. Again, do 70
think such course is wise, eithe
from your standpoint as an America
citizen or as a member of humanit
in general? Article 8, purporting t
turn swords into ploughshare'
carries almost in it's every word tn
germs of future wars, and is nicel
calculated to excite deep-seated an
mosities sure to lead to information
al bloodshed if the irritating cause
continued.
Article 9 provides for the creatio
of permanent commission to advis
the council on the execution of tn
military and naval questions involv
ed in Articles l and 8. 1t is nc
Stated what authority shall appoir
the members of the commission, bu
probably thee ouncil will make tn
appointments and the national con
plexion of the commission will
akin to that of the council. tn
activities of such a body of expert
will merely add a touch of refine
ment to the decisions of the council
and accentuate the worldwide IT
sentiment by which it's decisions wi
be received.
Article 10 breathes war from tt
first word to the last. This is tt
provision that pledges member n;
tions to preserve the territorial il
tegrity and existing political ind
pendence" of every member of Il
league. Its acceptance by the Uni
ed States is certain to involve tn
counry in foreign wars with stat
with which we have no quarrel 81
perhaps are on the most friend
terms. The sentiment of the artic
is the direct antithesis of peace.
proposes to extend to all the wor
every local disturbance, precisely
the dispute between Serbia al
Austria involved the nations of bo
hemispheres- 1t is preposterous
call the covenant a "league f
peace" when it contains such a ma
Lafayette Roddy who spe
eighteen months IN France with t