Republican farmer., 1920-08-13

world was on fire before we knew it. | It sickens our senses. to think of an- |
 other. We saw one conflict into | which modern science brought new | forms of destruction in great guns, 1 submarines, airships, and poison gases. It is no secret that our chem ' ists had perfected, when the contest came to a precipitate close, gases so deadly that whole cities could be wiped out, armies destroyed, and the crews of battleships smothered. The public prints are filled with the opir- ions of military men that in future wars the method, more effective than gases or bombs, will be the employ l ment of the germs of diseases, carry l ing pestilence and destruction. Any 1 nation prepared under these condi- l tfons, as Germany was equipped in I 1914, could conquer the world in
 year. 1 It is planned now to make this inn i 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 1 under the Roosevelt administration. | At meeting of the Council of the League of Nations, February II, an l organizing committee of twelve of the most eminent jurists in the world was i selected. The duty of this group was | to devise a plan for the establishment | of a Permanent Court of Interna- | tional Justice, as a branch of the 1 League. This assignment has been concluded by unanimous action. This l augurs well for world progress. The question is whether we shall or shall 1 not join in this practical and Humane movement. President Wilson, as our | representative at the peace table, en-
 tered the League in our name, in so far as the executive authority permit l ted. Senatod Harding, as the Re publican candidate for the presidency, l proposes in plain words that we re-
 main out of it. As the Democratic
 candidate, I favor going in. Let us
 analyze Senator Hardings plan of
 making German-American peace,
 and then calling for thew relation
 ship among nations,'' assuming for the
 purpose of argument only that the
 perfidious hand that dealt with Ger
 many would possess the power or in fluence to draw twenty-nine nations ; away from a 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 gen jus. patience, and diplomacy of states
 men at that time. History will say that great as was the Ai-:ed trium ph
 in war, no less a victory was achieved
 at the peace table. The Republican
 proposal means dishonor, world con- fusion and delay. It would keep us
 in permanent company with Ger many, Russia, Turkey and Mexico. Ii would entail, in the ultimate, more
 real injury than the war itself. The
 Democratic position on the question
 as expressed in the platform, is:
 "We advocate immediate ratified $ ton of the Treaty without reserva-
 tions which would impair its essentfa
 integrity, but do not oppose the ac.
 ceptance of any reservation making
 clearer or more specific the obliga-
 tions of the United States to ths
 League associates"
 The first duty of the new admin t istration clearly will be the ratifica t ton of the Treaty. The matter should t be approached without thought of tht l bitterness of the past. The publi,
 verdict will have been rendered, ant = ! am confident that the friends O = world peace as it will be promoted = by the League, will have in number o the constitutional requisite to favor = able senatorial action. The caption . may say that our platform referenc y to reservations is vague and indefinit = It's meaning, in brief, is that we shal t, state our interpretation of the GOV n enant as matter of good faith t e our associates and as a precautiol > against any misunderstanding in tn
 future. The point is that after tn y people shall have spoken, the Leagu d will be in the hands of it's friends i n the Senate, and a safe index as t l. what they will do is supplied by wha l. reservations they have proposed i e the past Some months ago, in ', y ] contributed article to the New Tor Times, expressed my own opinion c II the situation as it then was. I repro II duce it here:
 ,s There can be no doubt but tha @ some senators have been conscient ,e ous in their desire to c1arify the pro
 visions of the Treaty Two thine g. apparently have disturbed them in First, they wanted to make sure ths le the League was not to be an aIIianc e and that it's basic purpose was peac ,n and not controversy. Second, the ,e wanted the other powers signing tt v instrument to understand our const es tutional limitations beyond which tt ,s treaty-making power cannot go. Dea e. ing with these two questions in orde al 1t has always seemed to me that 1T d. interpretation of the Function of 1T e. League might have been stated in these words:
 e. In giving it's assent to this treat n- the Senate has in mind the fact tb. m the League of Nations which it en e. bodies was devised for the sole pu to pose of maintaining peace and co-,,i a. among the nations of the earth ay CT preventing the recurrence of such il an structive conflicts as that throue e. which the world has just passed. IT ss cooperation of the United States vii IT, the League and it's continuance as