Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-11

NOTE. lnlS is the urSC OF d S0II0S VI
six articles on the need, purpose and
character of League of Nations-the
most important idea now in the mind
of the world. In presenting these
mastery discussions to it's readers, The
Journal gratefully acknowledges its
debt to the Peace League, of which
Former President Taft is now head.
I. THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL
LEAGUES
Introduction: The history of humanity
has been a long process of seeking after
political stability-and peace. Throughout
all the recorded annals of mankind the
political unit has been steadily but slowly
increasing in size, with the result that the
area of peace has broadened. In the prog
ress toward the larger political unit there
has always been a first stage of cooperation
for a common end, manifesting itself in re-
cent centuries in alliances or leagues. These
cannot be rightly estimated until one under
stands how they have obeyed a law of life,
and how they have been an actual, though
imperfect, striving after the constant goal
of political stability.
What Is Behind Us: The present breakup
of Russia or the tribal rule of native At
ricans shocks us and impels us to call the
result uncivilized That is because we who
call ourselves civilized live within countries
where the stages of tribalism and the next
higher stage of progress, minor nationalism,
have ceased to be the bases of our political
states.
The family was the original political unit
n the world. Largely by the operation of
recognizing the blood relationships of he
individual it developed the clan, or gems,
as it was known in Roman law. Partially
due to this relationship, but also because
of need for protection, the primitive tribe
was formed. At first that tribe ruled which
was the strongest, but in the long run that
tribe ruled which reigned most justly over
those within it. For just rule bred tribal
devotion, and thence came morale and a
willingness to defend its institutions. The
larger amount of justice in the laws of
ancient Rome was a potent factor in the
ability of the republic and early empire to
conquer the world as it was then known.
Tribes became nations in reality because
of a process of friction and a rivalry of
ideals which rendered those within the
circle generally harmonious and endowed
them with single type of culture Nations
developed the political State to administer
the common life and to defend its cultural
structure.
The Dawn of Leagues: Aside from tenn
porary leagues to accomplish a single ambi-
ton, declarations were the first form OF
political alliances, and the Hebrew fedora
ton of the twelve tribes is the first that
need concern us. 1t is pictured to us as
a religio-political state receiving its form
direct from Jehovah. 1t is difficult to
analyze the secular motives and methods of
the resulting political structure, but it is
clear from the history of contemporary
states that the religious feature of the
ancient state was a potent factor in making
it cohesive. The ptSttaal fault of ancient
times was intolerance Oh any but the dormi-
nant religion or race or culture. This cir
cumstance justified, to the ancient mind,
The determination or reduction to slavery
of those subdued by arms, and caused
ancient league to be narrow and incapable
of great development. The Hebrew, Acha-
can, Attic, and other leagues were little
more than a political form of the ethnic
welding of tribes into nations.
When the Roman republic began it's career
of expansion, it introduced an element des-
tined to operate in harmony with the tend