The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-01-13
"FLAY BALL, SENATORS, IT'S
YOUR INNING"
Continued from page one)

when fire is raging, and the worl(
is now on fire. All observers report
that the political, economic, and so
cial condition across the seas is
alalmingly critical. Peoples are
starving by the tens of thousands
exchange has broken down, normal
trade is almost impossible, and order
ed forms of government and society
are seriously threatened. This is 40
time for pettinessea and partisanship.
AS much as in actual war, it is a
time for such agreement as shall Sc
cure prompt action and unity of
purpose.
Frank Simonds recently wrote of the
insulation of Washington" and
pointed out the amazing inability of
official Washington to sense the
world situation, or to know what is
| going on outside the District of Col
umbia. Objection has been made
that the League of Nations is mex
tricably entangled with the Treaty
OF Peace, SO that the latter cannot be
adopted without the former But
that was the first question settled by
the Council. They had to- determine
whether to base peace on old methods
OF balance of power" secret treat
les, preponderance of armament,-or
upon some rational method, and they
chose the latter. In this choice they
took the greatest step in advance the
world has seen for centuries.
It is now fourteen months stree
the Armistice. All our more i'm
portant Allies have signed the
Treaty, and peace with Germany
consummated, and we are left
out. What has come over cur spirit
that so soon we have changed our
sentiments towards those same Al
lies? But a few months ago we
were gratefully lauding England,
France and other nations as the
"saviours of civilization" Now some
OF US have become so suddenly sus-
picious of their motives that we read
all sorts of imaginary dangers in
their every attempt to organize the
world for stable peace. Meanwhile
the details of the Peace Treaty are
being carried out, and we, who paid
a price in men and money, have no
part in it, The large advantages
which the Peace Treaty gives to the
world are ignored, and the preposter-
Gus proposition of a Separate peace
with Germany" is even made.
1t is said that "the League is a
complete departure from our previ-
Gus attitude, so long successfully
pursued, of minding our own bust
ness" Thank God that it is new
departure from the methods which
led up to the Great War. The
world is not the same. America new
eli again, however it may desire to,
can be insulated" from the great
world movements. The war showed
how irresistibly we must be drawn
into world currents. The question is,
whether we shall deliberately plan
world relationships, or have them
thrust upon us? "Our business
what is it? To live the life of ma
tional hermit; get rich by ourselves;
think to exclude the world from un-
pleasant contact with US; have no
responsibility for anything or any
body outside our own borders,--or |
shall we recognize ourselves as a part !
of humanity, and manfully bear our
part of its burden?
No one who desires League of |
Nations can object to such interpre-
tations, or reservation" as shall |
conserve our national safety; but the !
treaty must not be so emasculated by |
its enemies-those who are deter
mined to kill the whole plan-as to
make it merely pious wish for
world peace, instead of an instrument !
of power. 1t is not perfect, even
with reservations; neither was the
Constitution of the United States.
But both could be amended as the
needs appear.
May | quote from a striking ar +,
ticle by Sherwood Eddy, well known
as one of the leading religious leaders
of the day, who has many times Wis
tied Europe and the East, and knows
the world as few men: 81 have just
returned from a journey around the
world since the Armistice-a journey |
including Japan, China, Turkey, and
Europe. | have been lecturing in
fifty cities before business men,
clubs and societies throughout this
country, and have had unusual OPP
portunity to learn public opinion. In |
Europe | have found strong reVul-
sion of feeling against the United
States. From being the most popu-
lar nation, as we were a year ago,
we are becoming the most derided
and despised. | have come recently |
from England and France. A friend !,
of mine In American uniform told me
that, on two occasions, recognizing his I
American uniform, respectable wom-
en- had come to him, spit upon him,
and said "That is what we think of
America" And this feeling is
growing. found everywhere the
question; we ask you, is America to