The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1919-08-28
LEAGUE FULFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says Democra-
cies Replaced kulocracies
at Our Bidding,
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHIEF.
Urges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty VIII Collapse
Without League Of
Nations.

Herbert Hoover is 50 deeply con.
cerued 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 a talk with the New York
Times correspondent In Paris, the
Food Administration Chief asserts that
having caused the League idea TO pre-
vail America cannot abandon II. We
cannot withdraw, he says. and leave
Europe TO chaos. ITO abandon the
League Covenant now means that the
treaty Itself will collapse"
Mr.. Hoover's Wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad
his reputation ms an administrator, a
man of great affairs who deals with
facts, not theories. make his state.
ment one of the most important con-
tributlons to the recent League discus.
sIons.
There are one or two points In con-
nection with the present treaty." said
Mr.. Hoover, "thnt need careful consid-
GRAFTON by the American public. We
need to digest the fact that we have
for century and half been advo-
eating democracy not only as a
remedy for the internal Ills of all so.
ciety, but also us the only real safe
guard against war. We have believed
and proclaimed. IN season and out,
that a 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-
man benefits in our country.
American ideas Have Prevailed.
1--WE went Into the war to destroy
nutocracy ms a menace TO our own and
oil other democracies. 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 viii on the world. Out OF this
victory has come the destruction OF
the four great auiocrac!cs in Ger
many, Russia, Turkey and Austria and
the little autocrucy In Greece. New
1emocracies have sprung into being In
Poland, Finland, Lctvia, Lithuania
Esihonia. Czechoslovakia, Greater
Serbia. Greece, Siberia, and even Ger
many and Austria have established
democratic governments. Beyond
these host Of small republics. such
as Armenia, Georgia. AzerbaiJan and
others, have sprung up. and again rs
a result of this great world movement
the constitutions OF Spain, Rumania
and even England. have made Il fina
ascent 10 complete franchise and de
mocracy although they siill maintain
symbol OF royalty.
''We have been the living spring fol
/ this last century and half from whlel
these ideas have sprung, and we hay,
triumphed. The world today, excep
/ for comparatively few reactionarl
and communistlc au;ocracies, IS dem
ocratic. and we did H.
"A man who fakes wife anc
blesses the world with several infant
cannot go away and leave them Of
| the claim thar there was no legal mar
rage.
these infant democracies all hav,
I political, social and economic prob
lens involving their neighbors tina
are fraught with the most intense
friction. There are no natural bound
aries in Europe Races are not com
pact; they blend nj every border The
need railway communication and SCI
outlets through their neighbors terri
tory
MANY of these sinies must for tn
next few years struggle almost 70
hare bones 20 maintain their verl
existence. Every one of them Is 60
ing TO do its hest 10 protect It's owl
Interests. even to thu prejud'ce Of Il
neighbors
Governments Lack Experience.
I'VE in America should realize thG