Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-08-24
HARDING PALACES RE-
GARDING LEAGUE En-
POSED BY DIR. PLANTZ


Continued from Page one.)
liances, he meant for one moment that
we should not Join with other civiliz-
ed nations of the world if a method
could be found to diminish war and
encourage peace"
Separate Peace With Germany
2. Mr.. Harding states in his ac-
ceptance speech that he believes in a
separate peace with Germany, and
promises to have a resolution passed
by the senate which will insure this
directly after he takes the presidents
chair. This would be in line with Mr..
Hardings action in voting for the
Knox resolution. We wonder what
Mr.. Lodge, who gave the address of
notification, thought of this declara-
ton when he had said on the floor of
the senate some time before that such
a course would brand us with ever
lasting dishonor, and bring ruin to us
Also" Mr.. Lodge is right.
To reject the treaty and independ-
emily declare that war with Germany
is over would be an act of faithless-
ness to our allies, so fragrant as to
make the cheek of every true Ameri-
can, except Mr.. Harding's, burn with
shame. We Joined the allies with
lofty claims about making the world
safe for democracy and preserving
the rights of nations small and great,
and for us to go back on all this. dis
regard our associates i'm their needs,
refuse to sustain them i'm a treaty we
have worked out together and make
an Independent peace and an indie
pendent treaty, would be next door to
ireachery.
Rut outside of the moral implica-
tiOns of the problem, it is absurd states
manship Consider in what a disad-
vantageOuS position we would be
placed in negotiating a treaty with
the central powers, and also the new
nations we have helped create 1t
would also complicate us with the
other powers, for the treaty already
made is in progress of fulfillment,
commissions are controlling the eco
nomic conditions of the enemy states.
and control has 6een established in
many ways which we could not ignore.
On May Is Mr.. Harding admitted i'm
speech in the senate that he cared
very little for the Knox resolution de-
cihring a state of peace with Germany.
that 1t was not essential to discentin.
Ting h0StiiitieS or reSuming trade ro-
latiOnS with Germany; but he would
like to see it passed as slap at Mr..
wilson and to show him that he was
not the "whOle cheese" Fine motive
for great statesman!
Harding and a New League
). But Mr.. Harding, after all his
talk about keeping free from eGtan-
gllng alliances and declaring it is bet
ter not to be "shackled by a written
compact" before he closes his discus
sion of the League of Nations, in
forms us that he proposes, if elected.
to try his hand in forming a league of
nations himself. He says: 81 would
hopefully approach the nations of Eu-
rope and of the earth, proposing tlat
understanding which makes us a. will
ing participant in the conservation of
nations to new relationship, to COM
NIT the moral forces of the world,
America included, to peace and nation
al justice, still leaving America free,
independent and self-reliant. but of
1erlng friendship to all the world"
We admit this sentence is about as
clear as mud, but it is helped out by
another sentence where he speaks of
1aVorIng IAN association of nations
cooperating in sublime accord to at
tam and preserve peace through JUS
tlce rather than force" Sublime ac-
cord is good. 1t will be very fine to
see Mr.. Harding bring the discordant
notes of the nations into Sublime ac-
cord" III he can suggest a better
League OF Nations than the leading
statesmen of the leading nations of
The earth have given us. he will have
10 show more clarity of reasoning
than his acceptance speech would
iead us TO suppose he possesses. 1t
would have been interesting if he had
given us some of the features of his
new league
AS mater of fact, all talk about a
new treaty or new league is alb
surd-Mr. Harding apparently does
not realize that the League of Nations
Is a going concern, that some forty
nations have Joined it, that, while il
mas waited long on America, hoping to
secure Its cooperation, it has now or
gained and begun to function. 1t is
TOO late to throw it on the scrap heap.
Practically all the civilized nations.
except the United States. China. Mex
lies were at war believe with the king
leo and the peoples with whom the al
of Norway that 1.-The League of Ma
Mons represents the most commend
able effort made up to the present
time to develop the rule of justice
among nations"
The League is at work. New ra
tions have been set up. plebiscites
nave oeen given, committees are study
haVeoeen given, committees are study
ing economic conditions, an interna-
uonal court has been established, a
commission to study the reduction of
ornaments is in OPERATION financial
problems are being investigated and
many other activities are being car
ried on. To suppose that Mr.. Harding.
If elected. can get these many nations
TO abandon what they have done and
take up some new scheme of cooper
alton is the widest folly. That a
candidate for the presidency of the
United States could make such a sug-
gestion strikes one as amazing"
lt Is this League or no League. II
is this means of doing away with war.
or letting the dogs of war continue
TO ravish the nations. European al.
pl0macy has never been unfayorahle
10 conquest The chaneelIors of En-.
repe have always been locking for
chances ito divide and conquer
new international conscience has been
developed by the wreck and havoc OF
the last struggle. Now is the time TO
get the nations together on a new
program; and it Is the time when men
must choose to come under the stand.
ards of the League of Nations and
save the world from future slaughter,
or TO go on with the old Maehiayellian
game.
Peter ". Molenda, Jr.. was a wau-
sau volunteer last week. He enlisted
in the army and was Immediately sent