The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-07
s14, could conquer the world in a
year.
League of Nations.

possible. A definite plan has been
agreed upon The league of nations
is IN operation. A very important
work, under its control, just COM
pleted, was participated in by the
Hon. Elihu Root, secretary of state
under the Roosevelt administration.
At a meeting of the council of the
league of nations, February IL, an
organizing committee Of twelve of the
most eminent jurists in the world
was selected. The duty of this group
was to devise a plan for the estab-
lishment of a permanent court Of in.
ternational justice, as branch of the
league. This assignment has been
concluded by unanimous action. This
augurs well for world progress. The
question is whether we shall or shall
not join in this practical and humane
movement. President Wilson, as our
representative at the peace table,
entered the league in our name, in
so far as the executive authority per-
mitted. Senator Harding, as the re-
publican candidate for the presidency,
proposes in plain words that we re-
main out of it AS the democratic
candidate, l favor going in. Let us
analyze Senator Harding's plan of
making a German-American peace,
and then calling for new relation
ship among nations" assuming for
the purpose of argument only, that
the perfidious hand that dealt with
Germany would possess the power or
influence to draw twenty-nine nations
away from plan already at work,
and induce them to retrace every
step and make a new beginning. This
would entail our appointing another
commission to assemble with those
selected by the other powers. With
the Versailles instrument discarded,
the whole subject Of partitions and
divisions Of territory on new lines
would be reopened. The difficulties
in this regard. as any fair mind ap-
preciates, would be greater than they
were at the peace session, and we
must not attempt to convince our
selves that they did not try the
genius, patience, and diplomacy of
statesmen at that time. History will
say that great as was the allied
triumph in war, no less victory was
achieved at the peace table. The re-
publican proposal means dishonor,
world confusion and delay. It would
keep us in permanent company with
Germany, Russia, Turkey and Mexico.
1t would entail, in the ultimate, more
real injury than the war itself. The
democratic position On the question,
as expressed in the platform, is:
1--WE advocate immediate ratifica-
ton Of the treaty without reserva-
lions which would impair its essen
a.. h,,t IL the
acceptance of any reservation max
ing clearer or more specific the onil-
cations of the United States to the
league associates"
The first duty of the new admins
tration clearly will be the ratification
of the treaty. The matter should be
approached without thought of the
bitterness of the past. The pubic
verdict will have been rendered. and
Il am confident that the friends OF
world peace as It viii be promoted
bv the league, will have in numbers
the constitutional requisite to favor
able senatorial action. The captious
may say that our platform reference
Ito reservations is vague and indef1-
mite. It's meaning, in brief. Is that
we shall state our Interpretation OF
lshe covenant as matter Of good
faith to our associates and as pre-
canton against any misunderstanding
in the future. The point is, that after
the people shall have spoken, the
lleag11e will be in the hands OF It's
friends In the senate, and safe IN
Idex as to what they will do is sup
Inlied BY what reservations they have
Inronosed in the past. Some months
ago. in a contributed article to the
New York Times, I expressed my own
oninion of the situation as 1t then
was. 7 reproduce it here:
Treaty Provisions.
There can be no doubt but that
come senators have been conscientious
| in their desire to clarity the proV1s-
ions of the treaty. Two tnlnss ap-
parently have disturbed them: FIRST
! they wanted to make sure that the
league was not to be an alliance, ana
that its basic purpose was peace ana
not controversy. Second, they want
ed the other powers signing the IN
strr1ment to understand our constltu-
| tional limitations beyond which the
ltreaty-making power cannot go. Deal
ing with these two questions in order,
il has always seemed to me that the
! Interpretation of the function OF the
league might have been stated in these
words:
scIn giving its assent to this treaty,
the senate has in mind the fact that
the league of nations which 1t en-
bodies was devised for the sole pur-
pose of maintaining peace and comfy
among the nations of the earth ana
lnreyenting the recurrence Of such des-
! tructive conflicts as that through
which the world has Just passed. me
remuneration of the United States with
the league and its continuance as
member thereof, will naturally depend
unon the adherence Of the league to
that fundamental purpose
| Such a declaration would at least
exnress the view of the United States
and Justify the course which our ma
tion would unquestionably follow IL
the basic purpose of the league were
at any time distorted. 1t would also
anpear to be simpler matter to pro
vide against any misunderstanding IN
the future and at the same time 10
meet the objections of those VINO pc