The daily morning oasis., 1920-09-07
PUTTING TEETH INTO
THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

That was an unfortunate metaphor employed
by Senator Harding, republican nominee for the
presidency, when he proposed putting teeth into
the Hague Tribunal" in lieu of adoption of the
League of Nations, which was born with a full set
of teeth, properly arranged, and would have been
functioning finely now had the plan not been hung
in air by neglect of the government of the United
States Through studously withheld ratification of
the Treaty Ct Versailles by the Senate)
Anyone who has experienced the operation of a
dentist in removing set (or remnants of seN of
natural teeth with substitution of an artificial SET
testify to the difference between putting teeth
into" anything, proposed by Senator Hareing
for the Hag,!e Tribunal, and operation of natural
set of teeth like that with which the League Of Ma
Eons and is provided. In the human head, the
natural set of teeth fixed firmly in the Jaws func
lions firmly and fixedly, performing their office eff
ficently and thoroughly, where Used properly while
an artificial set at it's BEST is miserable makeshift
fitting lily wobhlng about in the mouth, binding too
closely at place. not sufficiently close at another
food working under the plates, to manifest discon-
fort pair or both, decided nuisance general
H
Carrying out the metaphor the League of Ma
tions was and is provided with full double set of
natural teeth, in both lower and upper jaw, capable
of functionno finely; and with the Ieague organized
they would function as intended. In that condition
should The League simply show its teeth would be all
necessary. Snr9 |1cff:fF
duly constituted authority any reca1citrant nation
disposed to kick over the traces. would hecc,ne
n'iescent instanter. Those teeth the power of
general embargo hv all nations upon any nation
standing out against the decisions of the council and
the military power which be invoked to back that
power. An embargo alone would be sufficient to .
bring to IFS knees the most recalcrant nation Tex
cept the United Staes, the vast and great va
riety Of natural resources would place it ndenend
ent of ebargoes and these is probability Of any
question arising where either embargo military
force would or could he directed at this countrv>
Criticism as offered by Senator Harding and his
supporters is that The Leaoue of Nations has not
vented was in Europe-between Poland and Russia
for example. That is very true for the reason that
the League of Nations is not completed yet set
into full operation, with all the machinery provided
in full working order 1t is like the Constitution of
the United States was before the nine states neces-
sary for its ratification had adopted it. Had there
arisen any demand for functioning by that in
sfrument it could rot have done so because the
chnery for functiOning could not be completed and
started until nine states had Ratified. The govern
ment provided was acepholous Until a head was
created by election of a congress and executive it
could not function. Even when head was pro-
vided the extent and scope of it's power dis
puted There were those who held that it chad no
teeth" Even in the presidency, it took the differ
ence between Buchanan and Lincoln to show
that it provided with full set of natural teeth
in both upper and lower jaws, which Lincoln put to
work. mastcating the doctrine If secession-the OPP
GRAFTON was full and complete.
So with the League of Nations: Had the Senate
ratified it promptly, had the machinery provided
been proclaimed and started properly, it would have
functioned smoothly without all that stress and
strain experienced by the federal government of the
United States before 1865 1t would have done be-
cause the world at large would know that had the
will and power to enforce it's mandates-ust as the
IN tho fodo know
that the felera government Of the United States has
the force and nnvver FL enforce its own authority