South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-13

Netherlands
First let US Try 10 clear away the
dust OF some common mis-state-
Dnents or misunderstanding in re-
gard 10 the League OF Nations.
II is said that IL Is a new and rad
feal idea, Invented and pushed by
single man with a sinEle-truck nInd.
That Is not true. On the contrary, it
Is an old idea " mich has been cher
ished By many noble minds, who
thought civilized nations might
somehow act together 60 make war
more difficult and peace more dura-
BILE.
Rhy, then. have not the efforts &c
realize this idea in the past succeed
ed And why shoulc they be con-
tinued? Ny answer is threefold.
First. many Of them have partly sue
eeeded. and have kept the peace OF
the world for long periods of time.
Second. the reason why they ulti-
mately broke down was because they
either were built on a false principle.
like the Holy alliance of 1878 which
proposed 10 uphold the divine right
Of monarchical institutions. or they
u
the Hague conference which had no
power behind il. Third. the failure
OF those early efforts should no more
lead to the abandonment Of the idea
thar failure Of a hundred early ef-
forts led to the Abandonment OF the
automobile and the flying machine.
IL the end is good the means should
be sought until they are found. EX-
perisnce should guide us not 70 de-
epair, but TO wiser effort on the
path of nope.
Wilson Not "Alonc I'm Paris"
II nay be admitted without seri-
Gus danger Of contradiction that the
president OF the Jnited States has
some influence in Paris. OF that
think Americans should be proud,
not jealous. But 4 f. a great mis-
take 10 suppose that he is alone ia
Paris" There are other persons ON
the Quai d'Orsay. on Jan. % the
representative Of the il nations in
fhe peace conference voted unani-
mously that "the league should be
created as an integral part of the
general treaty of peace That was
not because those men thought that
a league unless it was included In
the peace treaty. 1t was because
they knew there was no chance OF
getting a real peace without the
league. Every reasonable observer
who has been over therefor. Maui
rice. Andre Tardieu. Philip Gibbs
Frederick Palmer, Morgenthau
Wickershan-all agree that this is
true. No league means no peace
worth having. The quality and value
of the peace depend upon the ex-
istence of the league.
II is said that the league implies
the abandonment OF national ideals
and duties. that IL is unpatriotic
that IL creates a super-state, that Il
is a step in the direction OF interna-
tiOnalis,n. Not one of those things
IS true.
TIE very title "a league Of ma
tions' implies for every one of the
high contracting parties the cOntinu-
ance OF national existence, otherwise
they could not participate in the
LEAGUE as nations. 1t provides a
method Of realizing national ideals
OF peace and security. II devises
in open, Just and honorable relation,
between nations, based upon inter
national law as the rule Of conduc-
between governments.
No Surrender OF "SOvereiAnty.
Does any one venture 10 say that
this is unpatriotic. that it destroys
nationality. that it surrenders sover-
eignty2 IL might as well be claimed
that personal freedom prevents q
man from making any contract. The
freedom Is asserted in the making of
the contract. Has the American ma
1ion no power 10 make agreements
treaties, pacts with other nations,
without FORGETTING sovereignty That
preposteTOus theory would set our
country in solitude like Ishmael-
..his hand against every man and
every mans hand against him"
But that theory Will never be
propounded by serious statesmen. OF
accepted by real Americans. Already
we have made many treates-some
OF them like that Of 1917 with Brit
ain. pledsing mutual disarmament
along 1000 miles of Canadian
frontier-others like that OF 1908
with Panama, guaranteeing tho
territorial integrity and !adepend-
ence OF that small repUblic-others
like those OF 1e14-1916 with score
OF American, European and AsiatIc
nations. promising not 10 declare
war or begin hostihties for any
cause without 3 previous reference
OF the DISPUTE 10 an interna tional
comm ission OF investigation and cor
Citation. Has our sovereignty there
by been lost2 I trow not. IL has
been asserted and vindicated. Just
as IL viii be by our free entrance
into a covenant With al civilized
constitutional. democratic rations %
promote peace and TO repress waE
BY common action.
Doctrine and Constitution safe.
We'll, anyhow" say the objoCtors
"this proposed league IS contrary q
our constitution: It takes away the
powers OF congress, Il throws out the
Monroe doctrine, and binds us %
send our boys 20 fIsht in every wax
that breaks loose anywhere"
II that we're frua All 81 ms ofruhf