East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-09-03
LEAGUE FULFILS
AMERICAN IDEAL
Herbert Hoover Says Democra-
cies Replaced Autocracies
at Our Bidding.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHEF.
Urges Ratification on Ground That
Peace Treaty Will Collapse
Without League Of
Nations.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION CHEF.

Herbert Hoover is so deeply con-
cerned 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
uation. In 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 It. We
cannot withdraw, he says, and leave
europe to chaos. "To abandon The
League Covenant now mencs LAT the
treaty itself will collapse"
Mr.. HoOver's wide acquaintance
with conditions both here and abroad
his reputation as an administrator, a.
man of great affairs who deals with
facts, not theories make his state.
ment one of the most important con-
tributions to the recent League discus.
sions.
There are one or two points in CON
nection with the present treaty." said
Mr. Hoover, "that need careful consid
Grafton by the American public We
need to digest the fact that we have |
for century and a half been adyo- |
eating democracy not only as q |
remedy for the internal Ills of all So
ciety, but also as 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 VIII 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 Il
aftocracy as menace to our own and
lii other democracies. If we had not
come into the war every inch of Euro
1ean soil today would be under auto
;ratic government. We have imposed
our will on the world. Out of this
iictory has come the destruction of
he four great autocracies in Ger
many, Russia, Turkey and Austria and
he little autocracy In Greece. New
lemocracies have sprung into being In
'oland, Finland, Letvia, Lithuania,
,sthonia, Czechoslovakia, Greater
4
many and Austria have established
democratic governments. Beyond
hese host of small republics, such
s Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and
theirs, have sprung up. and again as
result of this great world movement
he constitutions of Spain, Rumania,
nd even England, have made a final
scent to complete franchise and de-
locracy, although they still maintain
symbol Of royalty.
''We have been the living spring for
his last century and half from which
lese ideas have sprung, and we have
-iumphed. The world today, except
'r a comparatively few reactionary
nd communistic autocracies, is dem
ratio, and we did it
"A man who takes a wife and
esses the world with several infants &
innot 60 away and leave them on 81
e claim that there was no legal mar
age. n
"These infant democracies all have H
'litical, social and economic prob
ms involving, their neighbors that
e fraught with the most intense
ction. There are no natural bound
les in Europe. Races are not COM
ct; they blend at every border. They
ed railway comm, ,nication and sea 81
uets through their neighbors' terri
~.
"Many of these states must for tho
xt few years struggle almost for
re bones to maintain their very
istence. Every one of them Is 60
, to do its best; TO protect its own
-erests, even to. the prejudice Of its
lghbors.
Governments Lack Experience.
I'VE in America should realize that
Continued on page sixl