South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-08

standing-would have anything 20
do with either OF us.
This plan would not only be a
piece OF bungling diplomacy. but
plain, unadulterated dishonesty az
well.
QUOTES HENRY
CABOT LODGE.
80 less ar authority than Sen.
Lodge said. before the heat OF re-
cent controversy. that 10 make peace
except in company with the allies
would brand Us everlastingly with
dishonor and bring ruin TO US"
And then after peace is made
with Germany. Sen. Harding would.
he says. hopefully approach the
nations OF Europe and Of the earth.
proposing that understanding which
makes Us n willing participant in
the conservation OF nations TO a new
rela tionship."
In short. America, refusing 70
enter the League OF Nations Cnow
already established by % nations)
and bearing and deserving the con-
tempt Of the world. would submit an
entirely new project. This act would
either be regarded AS arrant mad
ness or attempted international
bossism.
The plain truth is. that the re-
publican leaders. Obsessed with a de-
termination 20 win the presidential
election. have attempted 20 satisfy
too many divergent views. Incon-
sistencies. inevitable under the cir
cumstances. rise to haunt them on
every hand. and they find them
selves arrayed in public thought at
least. against a great principle.
d
opposed 10 the idealism upon which
their party prospered in other days.
NOMINEE OFFERS
CONCRETE FACTS.
Illustrating these observations by
concrete facts. let II be remembered
that those now inveighing against
an interest In affairs outside of
America, Citicizcd Pres't Wilson in
unmeasured terms for not resenting
the invasion OF Belgium in 1914.
They term the League of Nations a
military alliance. which. except for
their opposition, would envelOp our
country, when. as a matter OF truth,
the subject OF "A League of Nations
has claimed the best thought OF
America for years. and the League
TO Enforce Peace was presided over
by so distinguished a republican as
ex-Pres't Taft, who, before audi
ences in every section advocated the
principle and the plan OF the present
league. They charge experimental
ton, when we have as historical pre-
cedent the Monroe doctrine. which
is the very essence of Article Y of
the Versailles covenant. Skeptics
viewed Monroe's mandate with
alarm. predicting recurrent wars in
defense OF Central and South Amer
lean states. whose guardians they
alleged We need not be. And yet
not a shot has been fired in almost
100 years in preserving sovereign
rights on this hemisphere. They
hypocritically claim that the League
OF Nations will result in our boys
Icing drawn into military service,
but they fail TO realize that every
hiy-h school youngster in the land
knows that no treaty can override
cur constitution. which reserves TO
congress. and TO congress alone, the
power to declare war. They preach
Americanism with a meaning OF
their own invention, and artfully
appeal 10 a selfish and provincial
spirit. forgetting that Lincoln fought
war over the purely moral ques-
ton of slavery. and that Mckinley
broke the letters OF our boundary
lines, spoke the freedom OF Cuba,
and carried the torch OF American
idealism TO the benighted Philip
pines They lose memory OF Gar
felds prophecy that America, under
the blessings Of God-given oppor-
unity. would by her moral leader
ship and cooperation become a Mes
siah among the nations OF the earth.
GOVERNMENT HAS
DEFINITE DUTY. O..
These are fateful times. Organ
lied government has a definite duty
all over the world The house of
civilization is TO be put in order.
The supreme issue OF the century Is
before us and the nation that halts
and delays is playing with fire. The
finest impulses of humanity. rising
above national lines. merely seek
TO make another horrible war i'm
possible Under the old order Of
anarchy war came over
night. and the world was on fire
before we knew IL. 1t sickens our
senses TO think OF another. We saw
one conflict into which modern sci /
ence brought new forms Of destruc-
tion I'm great guns. submarines, air !
ships. and poison gases. 1t is no
secret that our chemists had per-
II
preCipitate close. gases so deadly l
that whole cities could be wiped out /
armies destroyed and the crews OF
battleshipS smothered The public 7
prints are filled with the opinions OF
military men that in future wars the
method. more effective than gases
or bombs. will be the employment I.
OF the germs OF diseases. carrying /
pestilence and destruction. Any ma
ton prepared under these conditions. /
as Germany was equipped ia 1914, /
could conquer the world IN a year.
II IS planned now 20 make this
impossible A definite plan mas been 4
a greed upon. The League OF Ma /.
tons is in operation. A very i'm /
portant work. under its control. just /.
completed. was participated in by
the Hon Elihu Root. secretary OF I
state under the Roosevelt admins /
tration. Al n meeting Of the coun- I
ell OF the League OF Nations. Feb. /
II. an orEs nizing committee OF . OF I
the most eminent jurists In the
world was selected The duty OF
this group was 10 devise n plan for
the establishment OF a permanent T
court Of international justice. as a /
branch OF the league This assign I
ment has been concluded by unani- .
nous action. This augurs we'll for
world progress. The question is