The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1920-11-04
FUNDAMENTALLY WONG

The Wilsonian League Of Nations
scheme has failed 70 msst popular ~
proval because it vas fundamentally
wrong in its structure and vaS bfot
forth in violation Of all the essential
principles Of popular govesnnsnt. 1t
vas planned in secrecy and its adop-
tion by European nations Vas secured
by deception. Neither tAe people Of
the United States nor their duly ehos-
en- representative had . voice in
framing the provisions Of the League
covenant. President Wilson falsely
represented to European countries
tha: America insisted upon the sdop-
ton Of the League as = paft Of the
Peace Treaty. He falsely represent
ed TO the United States that failure
Of adoption of the League ~ he fram-
ed it would break the heart Of The
world
The movement for the promotion Of
world peace is not new. Nearly five
hundred yesrs ago the King Of Bo-
hemia proposed = plan for an interna-
tionAl parliament and tribunal
backed by military force to hear and
decide disputes between nations. At
frequent intervals from that time to
this various schemes have been pro-
posed, emanting from first one nation
and then another. for the purpose Of
settling international controversies or
for the domination Of individual ma
tions by super-state having military
power to coerce any nation that re-
fused to obey its mandates. Undoubt-
edly the most practical and most pro-
missing plan was that proposed early
in the Nineteenth Century by peace
societies organized by delegates from
all the leading nations of the world
the organization Of a con-
gress Of nations and permanent ar
bitration tribunal with the enforce
public opinion.
An association of nations with force
as its basis means the beginning of an
bureaucracy destructive
of national and individual liberty. Ex-
perience not only in the United States
but in all nations. demonstrates the
inevitable acquisition and centraliza-
tion Of power by any governmental
authority to which the people once
delegate part Of their sovereignty.
So long as selfishness and ambition
continue to be elements in human ma
ture, this self-development of bureau
cratic power is certain to result from
the establishment of any governing
body, whether national or information
al. The League of Nations covenant,
repugnant though it was
to American citizens. was mild indeed
in it's provisions as compared with the
power which the League Council and
would acquire within the
next half century if the United States
had become a member.
Rejection of the Wilsonian League
by the United States does not mean
of an effort to promote
world peace. There should be, and
will be. International con-
ferences or congresses participated in
by representatives Of all the leading
nations for the purpose of drafting a
code Of international law, establishing
new and better principles Of inter
national relations, and promoting jus
tice throughout the world. But such
laws should be based entirely upon the
consent of the legislative bodies of the
nations to be bound thereby. Such
code of international law will be
framed and adopted on its own merits
and not interviewer with peace
treaty. Nations participation in the
framing of such code will be free to
accept or reject it's provisions without
the attempted coercion incident to
making it q condition of declaration
Of peace.