Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-29

sent more than two million men to
France, spent more than twenty
billions of dollars and sacrificed
nearly a hundred thousand lives to
settle a Balkan dispute?
There was a controversy between
Serbia and Austria. Territorial
questions, political rights ana
boundary lines were involved. The
crown prince of the house of Aus
TT n was assassinated. A little
: flame of war licked up into the
powder house of Europe. and in a
moment, the continent was in
flames. 1t took all the power of
civilization to put out the Confla-
grafton. How idle TO inquire
whether we wish to send our boys
to settle political disputes in the
Balkans!
1t is extraordinary that men
should waste our time and veX
our patience by suggesting the fear
that we may be forced into future
} wars while forgetting entirely that
. America was forced into this great
est of all wars. No league of ma
lions existed when we entered the
war; and 1t was only when We
formed in haste, in the midst of
battle league of friendship, un-
der unified command, that We
were able to win this war. This as
ISOLATION of nations, held together
by a common purpose, fought the
war to a victorious conclusion, die
tated the terms of the armistiCe
and formulated the terms of peace.
If such result could be achieved
I g., Co, n,-Nr
agreement, why should not the as
ISOLATION be continued in a more
definite and binding form? What
plausible reason can be suggested
for wasting the one great asset
which has come out of the war?
How else shall we provide for in
ternational arbitration? How else
shall we provide for a permanent
court of international justice? How
else shall we provide for open d.
plomacy? How else shall we pro-
vide safety from external agrees
ision? How else shall we provid"
for progressive disarmament? How
else shall we check the spread of
bolshevism? How else shall in
dustry be made safe and the basis
of reconstruction established?
How else shall society be steadied
so that the processes of healing
may serve their beneficient pur-
pose ? Until the critics of the league
offer a better method of preserving
the peace of the world, they are not
entitled to one moments considera-
ton In the forum of the conscience
Of mankind.
Not only does the covenant guar
antee Justice for the future but II
holds the one remedy for the evils
of the past. AS it stands today,
war is the only way in which Amer
lea can express its sympathy for the
oppressed of the world. The league
of nations removes the conventional
shackles of diplomacy Under the
covenant, it is our friendly right to
protest against tyranny and to act
as counsel for the weak nations
now without an effective champion.
The Existing League.
The republican platform contains
| a vague promise to establish an
other or a different form of assoc
citation amongst nations of tenu- !
Gus and shadowy character. our
| proposed co-partners in such 4
project are unnamed and unnam-
liable. 1t Is not stated whether 1t Is
| proposel to invite the nations that
| have established the present league
| to dissolve it and to begin anew,
or whether the purpose Is to est2h-
| lish a new association of compe-
titive character, composed of the
nations that repudiated the existing
| league. The devitalizing character
of such an expedient requires no
comment. Fatuous futility could |
be carried no farther. There Is no |
mental dishonesty more transpar-
ent than that which expresses
fealty to a league of nations while |
opposing the only league of nations
that exists or Is ever apt to exist,
WHY close our eyes to actual World /
conditions? A league of nations al
ready exists. 1t is not project,
It is a fact. We must either enter It
or remain out of it.
What nations have actually
signed and ratified the treaty?
Brazil, Bolivia, Great Britain,
Canada. Australia, South Afr "a
New Zealand, India, Czecho-Shova-
kia, Guatemala, Liberia, Panama,
Peru, Uruguay, Siam, Greece, Po-
land. Japan, Italy, France and Bel
GUM.
What neutral states, invited to
Join the league, have actually done
so?
Norway, Venezuela, the Neither
lands, Denmark, Colombia, Chile,
Argentina, Paraguay. Persia, SAL
vador, Spain. Sweden and switzer-
land.
Even China will become a mem-
Der when she ratifies the Austrian
treaty.
Germany has signed and Is pre-
pairing to take the place which
awaits her in the league Of nations.
What nations stand outside?
Revolutionary Mexico, bolshevist
Russia, unspeakable Turkey and
the United States OF America.
II Is not yet too late. Let us
stand with the forces Of civiliza-
ton. The choice Is plain. 1t Is
between the democratic party's
support of the league Of nations,
with its program of peace. disarma-
ment and world fraternity, and the
party's platform of re-
provincialism, fnilitar-
ism and world chaos.
Equality of Voting.
There Is great pretense OF alarm
because the United States has but
one vote in the international as
sembly, against the six votes Of
Great Britain. Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa and
India. This popular argument
against the league of nations Is as
as II Is sunerficial II
ignores the fact that the executive
council, and not the assembly, Is
the governing body of the league,
and that our country Is one of the
five countries having permanent
in the council The
colonial votes exist only In the as