The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-10-07

tEditor's Note; The following n
the first OF eight articles by Captain
Eddie" Rickcnbacker on why
Soldiers are Against the League OF
Nations. Captain Rickenbacker was
the % OF aces in American aviation
on the front In France. His ao-
qunintance among tho soldiers OF tho
late war IL nationwide. when no
speaks for them, he speaks what he
knows).
by Captain Eddie Rickcnbackcr.
For a soldier. the league OF nations
has just n meaning. War. II IL a
contract to fight. II we join the
league, we agree to fight when called
In TO do so. International lawyers
and diplomatlsts may argue this
point. Some say hat we may sign
the league covenant and stiil not
fight unless we want. They argue
that, after N allies call on us. we
sun are at liberty TO go in or stay
The soldier does not look at the
league covenant In this way. He
docs not bother with the law OF dip
lomacy. We sign q contract; we must
Keep II. We give a promise. we must
redeem II. He Ices not oven think
about whether II is morals or law
that binds US. He only knows that
II we give IA pledge we are going to
st7nd by Il.
Take for instance, Article 10, the
war article OF the league. The sol
dier reads there. that the members
OF Tho league undertake Ia respect
and pres .vc against external aggrcs-
sion the territory anu independence
Of all other members. That IL the
language OF all other members. That
Is the language OF the The
soldier translates hat language in
his mind In the United States. lie
then would put the pledge. II signed
by the United States in about this
form:
The United States undertakes to
respect and preserve against external
aggression the territory OF all mom-
beers of the league Add to this that
10 the soldier external aggression"
is merely a polite name for war. and
YOU have Article 10 as he socs Il.
Everything else Is to him Just camou-
flage. We give our word to stand
ready 10 fight, on call. for any other
nation In the league hat is suffering
from n case OF 'cNtornnl aggression"
Once given. we have to keep IL.
Might BE Called to China.
The trouble might come In China,
or Slam, Greece. India or Egypt. We
might he called to fight and keep
$4,000 Chinese in Shantung under
japanese rule, or to hold India In the
British Empire. We might not like
the job; we might even sympathize
with the Chinese. or Hindus. hut we
should have given our word. In a
plain contract, and we should have
TO keep It.
That is the way "A plain soldier
looks at h league contracts; and
ninety-fivc In a hupdred soldiers do
not like IL. They have seen foreign
nations and know they are foreign
to MS. They know hat every foreign
nation, In war as In peace, acts first
and last for itself.
II n foreign nation gets into war
while acting IN It's own interest, they
do not see why they should be
shipped TO Europe or Asia TO help
II. They do not understand why
American blood should be shed to
build up n foreign nation. There
fore. they are against taking the
pledge they are against Article Y
They are against the covenant.
To fight In war is the solemncst
business on earth. Those who have
fought know this better than any
body else. and they are against fight