The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-11-13
MUST NOT HURRY INTO LEAGUE.

1 NIL AGA0OG.
| From various quarters there come indications
that some persons are planning to hurry Presl-
dent-elect Harding into some form of associa-
ton of nations for the preservation of world
peace While we do not believe that their eff
forts viii bear fruit, since Mr.. Harding is not
man to be moved by outside influence into
precipitate action on any important matter, we
may well ask why there is such insistence upon
immediate formation of league of nations. 1t
would appear that if any question was deserv-
/ ing of careful consideration, it is this. There
is good reason to suspect that some of those
now urging hurried action by Mr.. Harding are
not SO much moved by desire to see war made
more difficult for the nations as they are to
have Mr.. Harding hurry so that he will make a
lfasco of the matter.
| But even those whose motives are pure do
not convince most of US that we should give a
world peace league less consideration than such
a thing deserves. Perhaps even the men that
formed the pseudo-league of nations which now
exists In Europe could have done much better
| had they given more time to consideration OF
ut. We must take many things into account in
forming such body, but most of all must we
consider whether the temper of the world is
such as to make peace preserving organiza-
ton effective. The dickering and the reser-
vations at Paris make it appear that at least
the statesmen Of the world are not yet ready
for real league to make virtually impos-
| sible. There is little doubt, however, that the
people of the world are more generally in favor
of such move than they were before the great
conflict. The task of those endeavoring to
form league or association will be to learn
whether this attitude of mind rules the ma
tjority 1t is not an impossible task. It is prob
able that the peoples of earth are really deslr-
GUS Of entering into some agreement that Will
make war too costly for any nation to contem-
plate it. The next move then would be to bring
the statesmen of the world into harmony with
the people.
It will be possible to convert many of
the people into supporters of a definite, con-
crete movement for world peace that a majority
will be secured for it. If some men or organiza-
ton will formulate plan Of organization that
will be just towards ALL that will not favor the
great powers to the detrlment OF the small, the
people will clamor so loudly for it that the
statesmen will be obliged to adopt it. To do
this only two things are required-an exact
sense of justice and plain common sense. How
ever, these things are rare and they are more
rare in combination. But until they are brought
into combination an effective peace league is
impossible. President-elect Harding should be
given time to bring them into combination.
! The high cost of Injuries, if candy be a lux
ury in these days Of drought, still persists
though the six million pounds of wrapped
chocolates which were bought for the boys in
the trenches were sold back to pet makers at the
old time wholesale price of molasses taffy. The
soldiers never got them but favored brokers
did, and perhaps they still hold them free Of
charge in government storage warehouses while
they dole them out to be sold at retail at from
! one dollar to one dollar and half pound
The process of saving President-eect Hard
ing the trouble of forming his cabinet has now
begun The most jealous cabinet makers are OF
those who opposed his election and fought him
the hardest. Before Thanksgiving day they
will have had the whole slate fixed up for the
new executive.
/ The president says we should be thankful
4 for many things We are.