Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-10-22

Treaty of Peace was included in the
Constitution of the League. There is
a strong feeling, and it is growing,
that the Versailles Treaty not only
lacked the slightest element of gallan-
try to a vanquished foe, but was also
cruel and impossible from the eco
nomic standpoint. These people felt
that to use the. League of Nations to
punish the children of the so-called
enemy countries" for the next half
century was misuse of the League,
a contradiction of the very princl-
pies on which the League was foun-
ded
So. while statesmen haggled, ana
while nations waited, the whole IN
terest of the people faded into infif-
ference. And there it remained until
til the presidential candidates in
sisted on making it an issue-one
saying that he will go into 1t, the
other saying that he will not go into
it.
The revival of the question in this
campaign, without any pressure from
the nation, probably indicates that
candidates both know that the next
President will have to meet the
question of the League, whether the
people regard it as pressing issue
or not.
The President of the United States
cannot puts the League away IN
drawer in his desk and forget it.
He will have to do something about
it. The people may not feel especi-
ally concerned with it, but he will
have to coIcern himself with it. The
entire question will be a legacy left
to him by the present administration.
Even if the next President were
inclined to postpone definite action
with regard to the League, it is doubt
full if Congress would be so acquies-
cent.
And there is this possibility: we
NAV vet see a question which was
dormant during the campaign be-
come very active after the election.
When actual proposals for definite
action come up, for or against the
League, we may witness the arOusal
Of the public will and conscience. We
know that today the League is still a
| thrilling question in Europe; it may
! regain it's former idealistic position
| in the United States also.
It is highly improbable that any
President of the United States would
take step with reference to the
League, which he felt was in opposi-
| ton to the will of the American peo-
pie That is to say, even if can
didate were elected who pledged
himself not to go into the League, he
could not very we'll shut the United
States out from participation in the
League if the unmistakable will of the
| people was to go into it.
The League is not relation be.
tween governments or administra
tions, but between Peoples, and the
Peoples themselves have the decid
4 ing voice.
Yet if it so happens that the voting
shall be the only expression which
this country will make on the Ques
ton, the next President will have the
right to believe that the vote repre-
sents the position of the people on
the League of Nations.
1t is this fact that makes the ballot
so important this year The voter
ought, at least, to consider his vote
with reference to this question He
ought to consider his vote in the light
of what may transpire in the future
If he intends to be against the League
as steady attitude, all right; if he
intends to be for it all right. The
point is, when he votes this year, his