Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-28
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ONLY ONE CHOICE

There isn't any doubt of the fact that the covenant Tor the
League of Nations that was formed by the representatives oil
tba loading mowers of the world assembled at the Versailles
peace conference was the best that could be drawn at hs ume'
The world has not reached perfection yet by any means and the
marvel is that any kind of an agreement could be reached upon
such a subject as an international tribunal that could wielu LILY
influence at all in the future conduct of the world ahalrs.
II Is also apparent that the League Of Nations is the back
hone of the peace treaty. Never before have so many powers
of the world had a part in framing such a treaty; as each one OF
these nations has its own problems, Its desires and ambitions
the making of q satisfactory peace was naturally extremely
complicated.
After months of discussion, during all of which time the
world was becoming more and more impatient, 1T was FOUND
that the only way out was to leave some of the more intricate
problems to be threshed out later by the council OF the League
of Nations and proceed with the main object OF ending the war.
As is natural in all such cases, certain compromises had
to be made and certain nations were given temporary adVant-
ages which they agreed to later surrender or restore to their
former condition or control. Among these are the Scar valley,
containing great German coal fields which France demanded
to make good the loss OF her own mines destroyed by the Huns.
Then there is Danzig, the German city on the Baltic which Is
the logical port for the new Poland. This city had to be in
ternationalized, but who was to see that it remained interna-
tionalized? The Fiume issue between Italy and the Slavs and
the now famous Shantung award, which has become the last
stand of the opponents of the league In the United states SEN
ate---all these problems are hopeless without a League OF Ma
tons to see that the agreements and pledges are lived up to.
With the league functoning as it is intended to function, none
Of these problems are serious.
A little thought on the subject, therefore, leaves but a
single choice---either we must accept the League of Nations
as it stands and hope and pray and work to the end that i, will
play the part intended for it and grow stronger as years pass,
or we must admit that the war, in Its broader aspect, was a fail
ure; that nothing has been gained by the awful slaughter; that
races and nationalities are still so jealous and suspicious of
each other that they do not dare trust one another and that as
1t was impossible to please all nations In the peace adjustment,
the seed is left for future wars with no international body to
prevent them; that nations must at once begin to arm them
selves as before, creating great armies and building enormous
fleets at the expenditure of billions of dollars, all Of which must
come from the people in the form of excessive taxations until
civilization is finally advanced far enough to provide for a
League of Nations that will see to 1t that the peace of the world
is maintained and the money hitherto wasted in destruction
can be devoted to constructive pursuits and the development Of
the worlds natural resources.
Politicians seeking partisan advantage may harangue and
argue until the next election about the Shantung affair, the
Monroe Doctrine and every other issue that has been trumped
up in an effort to discredit President Wilson and defeat the
Democratic party next year, but the fact remains thatthe peo-
pie of this country must accept the peace treaty with the
League of Nations as it is, or they must be willing to return to
the old conditions when costly ornaments were the greatest
burden the people had to bear with the world ready to be set
on fire again at any moment just as soon as the secret diplo-
macy of some ambitious nation bent on conquest has the pipes
all laid for starting something.
Which shall it be, folks, a League of Nations doing its
utmost to ~straighten things out so as to preserve the peace of
nation as to which can spend the most in preparing for the
next war?
When you have decided, write to your senator and tell
them what you think of it. Address letters to Joseph S. Freling-
huysen and Walter E. Edge, care of United States Senate,
Washington, d. @. This is a serious matter, far too serious to
be playing politics over, and it is something that affects every
household, as has just been demonstrated by the war just
ended.