The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-04-07
UNCLE TED'S BEDTIME STORY

"Oh, Uncle Ted" begged Jack, pull
ling at his uncle's evening newspaper,
''please tell us a real exciting story
tonight. You promised you would II
1would study hard for an hour, and
! have just finished.
"You'te an awful bother, Jack, !"
answered his uncle, putting down his
newspaper and taking Ruth on his
lap. But I will tell you that story
now II you are real quiet and promise
not to tease your sister any more"
II promise" quickly answered
Jack.
All right. Now this may not be
an exciting story, but 1t is true and
itshappened only a few weeks ago.
You both remember, of course, the
many, many things, have told you
about the world club plan, and you
know how tho United States senate
refused to let the United States, BE-
come member Of that club Is pro-
posed by President Wilson because It
would mean losing all our strength
with foreign countries and place 10
under the command of b government
Of the world instead of our own. One
of the most important things about
the plan is the fact that II we were
a member we could not act: with the
smaller countries Of South America
and with Mexico and Cuba as we can
now. That Is because the world club
might not let US act under what is
known as the. Monroe Doctrine, q
part Of one Of President Monroe's
messages to congress many, many
years ago. have told you before
what that doctrine says, so will not
take the time to explain It again.
I'm the middle Of March Of this
year, mob attacked the legation of
Peru In the city Of La Paz, Bolivia.
You see, Peru Is one country in South
America, Bolivia another, and Chile
another, all right along side one an
other, on or near the Pacific ocean.
Each of those countries has repre-
sentatives in the other countries lust
az we have representatives in France
and England. This mob attacked tho
house In Bolivia whore tho repreoon-
tative OF Peru lives. The trouble was
so great that tho Chilsans, who
thought the peace Of their country
was to be broken by war, started to
mobilize their troops; that Is, kst
their soldiers ready to tight. The
Bolivians and the Peruvians, when
they saw their neighbor getting ready
for war, also said they would bring
their troops together. Things looked
very bad ana everyone thought there
would be war. The interesting point
about 1t all is, that all three Of these
countries are members Of the world
club which Is supposed to be organ
ICED. President Wilson wants us to
Join 1t because it will, as he says,
help stop war. But when all three Of
ago, it seems that none Of them
these countries were getting ready
for war just little over a month
thought of asking the club in Europe
more than 10000 miles away, with
its supposed machinery ready for
business, to help stop the trouble"
''Why didn't they get the world
club to help?" asked Jack.
II don't know, Jack, except that
think they would all three have been
fighting if they had waited for the
world club to settle the trouble. It
just shows that the world club plan
will not work when an actual case
comes up for 1t to handle"
5 s"Did they have WARP" asked Ruth.
s"No, Ruth" answered her uncle,
there was no war but It was not