Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-01
World League Sure to Come.
On Feb. 20 the kennebec Journal
+ orally said:

ORALLY said:
Any man Of any size Nigh, vel! hest
cate to criticize off hand. the new cove
0ant for the League Of Nations. Nor
should any thinking person be expect
ed to swallow il whole on sight. without
grease or relish. For it is an all
embracing document dealing with an
tpochal change IN the course OF civili-
cation. And this covenant is still sub
Ject to amendment. 70 additions and re-
there: 1t is a groundwork for revision:
II may not be perfect. and it should
hardly be classified by, prejudice OF
presentation. Neither should It's god
father nor its grandmother presume to
tell Congress or anybody else that this
coyenan, is TOO sacred for ordinary lips
TO discuss or dissect Indeed. to Us !.
4 eeems that discussion should be stimu-
lated: that IT'S merits should be Sc;
forth by its friends and its defects dug
cut and laid bare by those who have no
fa.th IN such league
Having gone this far for humanity
and to make the world safe for democ-
racy We should at least be ready TO
consider every reasonable project for
making all countries better and safer
places in which TO live. II such pro-
vision IS possible. then every vita! prn.
oiple of nat'ona! right should be safe
guar led ard he tha, discovers a new
means will confer service
II man De big enough TO hold md
has lived long. enough TO acquire, all
the wisdom Of the ages and nations.
and IS gifted with prophetic 'ision be-
.ond the accredited mind % the world :
greatest statesmen and scholars re
may pretend n Judge II advance the
1r1ition or failure Of the League OF
Nations project. Otherwise re would
better hold himself down 20 presenting
possibilities Of Improving the plan thai
is bound to be put into effect. rather
tfan 10 shouting that there cant tie
10 such animal.
We then hoped tina, discussion
would pass from destructive 70 con
structive, and that stage seems TO be
at hand. We then hoped. and then
and since have expressed thc con-
>iction that craftsmanship would no,
lead the popular opinion On this great
international problem. II is no: THE
plan OF anybody in the whole wide
world. but \ plan for largely doing
away with the possibility OF bloody
hostilitles and with the great and
always increasing burden OF pre-
laredness for war. Our position has
been misunderstood by some. as we
expected il would be. but il has been
fully and broadly srasped by many
oth.rs oil all political parties and ali
intellectual classes. il our mails and
indicate anything. We are surprised
that the modest utterances Of small
daily newspaper in a remote corner
81 the country should have attracted
attention IN SO wide a field as indi-
Gated by our mails in the last three
days. The following from q letter
written in Washington Feb. - is a
striking specimen:
am sure ,ou Will not resent TIE sug-
eestion OF a friend Of the Kenneoe:
journal. a friend OF the Republican,
party and Civil War veteran who
served III the 18th Maine Infantry Vel
unteers.
nave noticed with great regret that
you. paper supports Mr. " ilson ideal
istic scheme of a League Of Nations
am not Undertaking TO enter into an
argument on the merits OF the case. but
shall content myself with simply asking
you TO gain look into the matter very
carefully. IN the hope that YOU may dis
cover the dangers and pitfalls which
the most OF Us here IN Washington be-
lie.e await US if the United states en-
ieTs into such League. When l say
the most OF US ! mean. not only prac-
f.CdHy every Republican, but very
large number OF Democrats. Indeed.
doubt If there Is q single Democrat in
the Senate or the House tn4t actually
IN ms heart approves Of President Will
sons plan. although many OF them will.
iol political reasons. support him in
public while damnins him n the lob
ties.
Mr.: 7';'.:son appears TO have los, his
which he was received in France and
England gave him a false idea o: his
importance. an he means TO be the
ruler 0: the world His conduct has
isolated poor. shattered France who
row feels and 10 my mind with reason.
that she has been deserted BY the al
lies ard the United States and has been
left like a lone sentinel on the border
TO protect herself as best she may
against the growing strength and ruth
lessness OF Germany. 1t nearly breaks
my heart to see the kennebec Journal
taking the stand il does.
With kind regards of the writer ami
the best wishes for the prosperity o.
Your paper. am
We are indeed sorry 10 disagree
with anybody land especially such a
kindly friend) on great moral ques-
tlons. but We always have found and
expect always to find that one Of the
difficulties of Independent thought.
We reach our convictions by careful
study and reasoning. We do not
claim to be always right. but We do
claim to always aim to be right If
we miss the mark it is because Of
the false light that Is given us and
the bad craftsmanship of express
sion.
In this instance our friend had no
right to assume that We support
Mr.. Wilson's idealistic scheme" We
supported the hope for q league of
nations before President Wilson ever
Ito our knowledge) uttered a word in
favor Of such league. We sup
ported he 'idealism" of moral
progress before We ever heard of
Woodrow Wilson: and every step
forward and upward In such progress
is inevitably sneered at and opposed
as Realistic" Abolition was the
dream Of an ideAlist" Prohibition
was the widest idealism. Suppress
sion OF lotteries and live pieeoH
shooting were pooh poohed a. ideal.
istic fancies.