The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-03-23
Thomas A. Latta Says That United States
AS Independent Nation Is Worlds Hope

/ through The CU-uprIhiuN VI an I|u.
rope, for 81 ia a generally accepted
/ historic maxim that TN" iiicprui
rnce ur the American colonies Wou,d
! haN" been impossible hu, Tor lhr AID
Of France. France. In this instance.
WAS unQucstionahly au "rNfcrIur
force. and as such would have been
barred from AIDING the struggling
colonies In America who were. ash
ing nothing but the riRh' 10 srt no
q government of their own dedicated
TO freedom and liberty
Here Il a war the league ~ ma
lions would have uulucsuuuun,t
prevented let Americans feel as
lh,y may about a. win the league
OF nations in force and the United
states a signatory thereto, surely !,
Is indulging in no mental fantasies
to Cunjur" "A picture wherein Amer
lean citizens might soon hc aiding II
polygot army 10 put down by force
of arms m" just aspirations OF some
people attempting 10 emulate IN"
example OF the United states or at
least To prevent some sinister hu
mnnitarian nation from offering
such "A people aid
Inla Would Not Have Bccn ii,'c.
with the league OF nations IN
lNf'' anu 'lAfNA hNi N'NNfl NV
have been freed from spanish Tyr
rany.
j. there a reader who questions
the accuracy OF his observation?
Then let him controvcrt it as best
ne may
II may he pleaded that the poll
cIrs OF spain i'm this case were so
tyranlcaI and atrOcious that no civ
lllzcd nation could have Justified
any action resulting I'm denial TO
the Cubans OF their primary rights.
Vet. under the clause OF the lcagu"
constitution being considered. every
nation would have been obligated to
AID spain. at least against any eN-
tcr!os influence, in her fight to pre-
serve the integrity OF her territory,
HAD the league existed az that
time, and had the United States
been "A slgnatOry thereto, II could
not have written one or the brightest
pages i'm It's national history. for II
would have found itself foresworn
To defend autoCraCy in its posses
sions, at least to refrain from Of
fcring aid or comfort to thos" VINO
Wer" struggling to express "a ma
uuuHl aspiration
HAD II not been slgnatUry, to
the league. 1t would have been
forced to look with oompldCcncy on
what was transpiring In cuba, turn
a deaf ear TO its appeals, or face In
arms an autoCratic alliance OF the
world As matter OF historic YER
ity precisely this sort Of restraint
against the United States was at
tempted al the time II failed only
because Great Britain refused to
Ia. a I,t .syN,
To stay lts hand. The disposition
SO 10 do was cNistant In most OF the
chanCellorios Of Europe and. II may
very reasonably be assumed M
matter of political speculation,
would have crystaliIcd into form
with even Great Britain i'm agree
mcnt. had 1t not have been for the
blowing up OF the hattleship Maine
in the harhor OF Havana, which gave
to the United States such an appar-
cnt cause for action that Grca.
britain could not bring herself to
dlsrCEard iL
The poirt IL, that without league
Of nations existing, such league
wns approximately formed for the
specific purpose OF staying the Just
national hand OF this government and
putting the United Stahes i'm It's
place 10y the specific same powers
that are now forming the league on
a basis OF four against one, so far rs
this nation, Ia concerned.
We have thus briefly considered
two Of the most important wars IN
which our nation has been engaged
in their relation TO the principles -
tho league OF nations proposed, and
found that indeed both would have
been impossible or greatly agra
waited had such international law
existed At the time.
Let us now consider very briefly,
and only for the purpose Of placing
the readers mind in the right dircc-
ton that he may make such appu-
cation as TO him appears suitable,
some OF our other wars
The Mexican war: This war, d.
rcCtly and indirectly, gave To tho
United States IA considerable portion
OF It's present area. Consider for a
moment the circumstances leading To-
II, the sentiment of Europe with re
Spcct TO tho United states at the
time: measure these known or ascor-
talnable facts against the provisions
OF the proposed league. then visual
izc the result what have your No
war OF course. The United states
would have escaped the Mexican
war. And Mexico today would have
feNas, Arizona. New McN.co and
southern California a. least as "a
part Of It's territorial domain with
NpNimIllian's descendants ruling
over Us destinies.
The War Of tn States.
The war Of the states lNtl-j.
But here, you gay. was a clear case
or domestic strife; the controversy
was between sections Of given state
ana clearly without the provisions
of the league constitution: even the
proposed league could not have Jus
titled interference In such con-
test.
Possibly But let ua see
Europe was most profoundly ar
fericd by the war of tho states It's
industrial and eConomi, Iif" felt tho
conflict I'm dorre" hl. little less
than was experienced here In Amc,-
lca, and almost from the first there
was a strong scuumon, i'm both
England and France fayoriug the
south. Indeed II was the disposition
or both governments 70 extend 10 the
south bclligcrcnt rycognitlons and
rights, an event which might have
resulted In southern Independence.
me very thing, too. both France and
England hoped for. As matter OF
thct both governments were deferred
from TINS step even under The then
existing circumstances. only brrauHc
OF "a public sentimenl In each which
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