Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-03-29
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Sioux City journal: 1t IS now EVIL
dent that it would have been better
for the peace of the world had those
who assumed the responsibility for the
formation of the peace treaty confined
their first efforts to the establishment
of an agreement which would have
settled the war disorder expeditiOusly
and left the formation. of the League
Of Nations or any other agreement for
preventing war to later deliberations
and decisions. But neither those who
constituted the peace commission o
the masses of the people i'll the war
racked countries saw the matter III
that light in December, 1918. The
agonizing prayer of every heart, the
fervent petition from every hearth
stone, were that there should be no
more Of the appalling slaughter and
suffering and agony. The %outsp0ken
demand of every heart was that those
who assumed to act should so harness
the mad passions and blood gluttOny OF
princes and rulers. and powers that
they would be incapable of inficting
another calamity on the world.
AS a result of this undeniable de-
mand for something that would insure
peace, the peace commission placed its
construction and consideration ahead
Of the consideration and construction
Of the peace treaty. In. some particu-
lars the covenant was i'll considered.
In others it left the solid ground OF
materiality and scared off into the
blue ethereal sky of idealism. 1t
could not be ironclad and infleXible
because it was largely based on the
moral support of the members. Wheth-
er it will function as anticipated re-
mains to be seen. Certainly the Unit
ed States, the one great ideal force
Of it's being, will have no part in it.
1t is now clear that it would have
been better to have ignored the emo
tional demands at the beginning and
delayed the formation of the League
of Nations until the passions of the ma
lions were somewhat. subsidized II the
governments willing to grant more and
accept more in creating the agency
which would prevent, war so far as
possible. All the ranking passions OF
the war were on display at Versailles
when the league was created. They
influenced its preparation and shaped
it's policies. A few men, sitting calmly
away from the passions of conflict
which we're brought from the battle
fronts and chancelleries to. the peace
chamber, would have been able to work
out an agreement which could be &C
copied by the United States without
the deplorable contests between the
president and the senate which have
resulted i'm a reputation of the attempt
TO formulate an agreement to hold the
war passions in check.
of course this is taking a retrospec-
tive instead of prospective. view of the
question. 1t is the use of the hindsight
instead of the foresight. 1t is bas;ng a
conclusion upon the known instead OF
upon the unknown. Had the peace
commission not provided some agency
intended to prevent war, the world
would have risen in protest. The world
was hysterical, frantic, impatient and
lintolerant. 1t wanted security for
future peace. 1t did not consider the
possible advantages of delay. 1t want
cd no postpOnement. 1t demanded ac-
ton. If the league fails to meet the
high hopes Of its sponsors and the ex-
pectations of the world, it will be be-
cause it was tied to a peace treaty
which should have mended the wrongs
of actual wal instead of concerning
itself with preventing future ones.
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