Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-05
SHALL WE GO BACK OR GO FORwARD9

IAN editorial written for the American public by Nor
man Hapgood president of the League of Free Nations
Association)
Senators Knox Reed and Lodge taking as heavy
responsibility as any set could take when they
endeavor to prevent the formation of League of Ma,
tions at only time when there real probability
of its being possible form it. Long the prime min
lister of England said that at the end of the war there
would come critical moment when the mind of man
kind would be fluid; when should be accustomed to
doing great things. unprecedented things; when we
could if we wished take such steps upward that the
terrible cost of the war would be justified But Mr. Lloyd
George went to argue let that moment pass and
we shall sing back customary ruts and
tomary fears and will be nothing compensate for
all the lives and all the destruction of prosperity.
In endeavorng prevent the successful beginning OF
a League OF Nations Senator Reed comes out blunty
with opposition the whole idea and few of the less
intelligent back him up Cleyerer among
those who wish defeat the league follow the policy of
Senator Lodge and Knox and are fighting delay the
usual device of experienced politicians when they are
trying defeat measure in which all elevated and dis
interested considerations against them
The American people ought to understand that the
Presidents activities abroad at the present moment are
due sudden impulse. They are the following out
of the faith that he has the beginning He
been compelled to change his in detail frequently
any good helmsman tacks according wind and tide
and the accidents of a rocky But he has always
aimed at peace based on mutual understanding mutual
confidence and mutual welfare among the nations He
has read history and he knows how at the end of so
many of the great the victorious alliance plan
ned peace by the exercise of its own force
and how completely usory every such attempt has been
He is not trying to force upon the OF Europe
today the detail of any plan He is however trying to
bring to the few who happen to be the governments
OF England France and Italy the moment realiza-
ton that they will be building sand if they do not
use this opportunity make more disinerested and
spiritual settlement than has been made after other wars
and in combination with some international arrange
ment that will help get the old fears and old
antagonisms.
Messrs. Lodge and Knox are brilliant men, but they
represent the old story the dstrust of the people,
distrust of ideas the distrus of ideasm They call
themselves practical and yet they stand for the thing
that has always failed and the thing that brought this
war upon They stand for the Holy Alliance applied
to the conditions of 1919 They practically say to man
kind You do anything better than you have done
don't try whereas the President saying to the gov
ernmens You must rise above the limits of the politi-
clan and bureaucrat, civilization itself may die"
Let us look at two of Mr. Lodges arguments
to see how fimsy the weapons even highly edu-
Gated man has to when he goes out in support of
prejudice against truth He says it will be grave
thing for sovereign nation leave in mankind in gem
e1al the determination of whether question is vital to
its independence and safety. Yes it was grave thing
when the head of every household in the village had to
leave in large the defense his family to the viii
lage police force and the village course No doubt the
Lodges of that day viewed this step with solemn alarm
1t was grave thing when dueng into the discard
Nothing indeed could seemed more destructive of
honor and manhood to the Lodges and Knoxes of only
few decades ago than that should not settle with
pistols and seconds whole group of wrongs which
nobody thinks of settling that way now Any step ahead
is grave step, but the trouble with Senator Lodge is
that he thinks it more dangerous go forward than to
stand still and attempt to go backwards
Senator Lodge wishes to know whether we are ready
to abandon the Monroe Doctrine This would be an ey