The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-28

a member-a reVengeful, plotting, i commercial pushing Germany, and 1 before that can be. France wants to cut off Germanys right hand so it cannot be up to any stabbish tricks in the future.
 In the heart of France is deep, bitter enmity towards their historic foes, and, whatever may be the view of other countries, France wants to inflict a pain on the Boche which he will feel for a century.
 Italy agrees that the League of Nations may be good thing-if it does not stand in the way of Italy's
 ambitions. SeIf-determination may be all right, and 1t is for Italy to determine what she wants. She
 wants the Dalmatian coast, which ether people want. She does not want the Jugo-Slavs to have Plume.
 So Italy and Jugo-Slavs are glow ering at one another, examining their guns and seeing that their powder is dry.
 The aIIiterate journalists are once more beginning to write about the Balkans in a blaze. All the les ser nations of Central and Eastern Europe-which many of us never heard of until recentIy-are begging out claims and pulling up the other fellows pegs in the night.
 The big Allies are declaring that little nations, like little boys, must
 behave themselves; but they don't. Peace has become more difficult than war.
 Anyway, the United States never wanted territory. Across the Allan tic there was serene idealism. The League of Nations was conceived in the back study of White House When it was known the child of international amity was to be born, the gladness was great throughout the American land. Great indeed was Woodrow Wilson of the Amer jeans! War was an accursed thing and the Yankees hated it. The world was mad, and Christ ianity was farce if no other means could be found to settle disputes than by the wholesale slaughter of young men. Let there be a Society of Nations, representative of the civilized world to settle disagree ments, to reduce armaments. to hinder Germany or ary other Tnili- taristic Power causing disturbances. Let all the nations append their signatures to a solemn covenant they will obey the behests of the league. Good; and much public ac- Clamation.
 But, eh, what was that? The Lea que was to have authority over the United States, to dictate how big the United States Army was to be and how small the United States Navy! The American people sat up and began to think again.
 Gee whiz, was the great and en- frightened Republic going to be or dered about by a majority on a Lea que composed of lot of effete, played-out, decadent European na- ttons. Not on their life.
 The League of Nations is a grand conception; all the American people believe in it-so long as it does not have any authority over America.
 What fools these mortals bel" Time! What staggering and ironic chuckling there must be among the eIfs and gnomes of the underworld
 The fact is the whole bunch of us are talking about the rights of all humanity but thinking about the position and claims of ourselves. We see the correct thing to do; it is the others who look at affairs with cock eyed glance.
 A League of Nations and self-de- termination are excellent things; but they will no more mix than oil and water. The trouble is, we are try ing to ride two horses, each want ing to sprint in the opposite direc- ton.
 I believe in a League of Nations. The war will have been fought in vain and we will stamp ourselves as mentally impotent if we, the Amer