Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-30
DOES THE LEAGUE OF
NATIONS PLAN FOR WAkf

Editor Every Evening League pro-
vides plans for future wars, cry the
calamntv-howlers of the Republican party.
Alarm the women and chhdren the
leaders comand. Vote Tor ifaruihS
against the League of Nations 10 keep the
country out of WA" is their platform. IL is
scarcely credible that real men or weli-ln-
formed women will bc influenced by such
hunk. -
What reason is offered for such fearsf
Th,V otiotr from the League oi Nations
covenant to show that as "A last resort the
nations, may upon the advice OF the
,,ouncil ar assembly of the league, rccog.-
nine that a state of war has been caused
hv somc nation and that all measures 10
prcScrvc peace have failed. The nations
NAV then. upon the same advice, decide
20 resort 20 force for the enforcement oil
international law When all other means
f,,l the Sovereign Power of all the asso-
c,.t, nations NAV be called into action
uno, IN, recommendation of the council OF
the league. r.
To say that this provides plans Tor
b,t,,r, "a srs is i,Ist as far from tho truth rs
10 say that the presence ot p0hcc iotce
and mSscSsion Of authority 70 enforce
law N CITY providcs plans for future riots
pehtud al law must be the power 10
enforce law. fnr law ~ not made lot inc
rood citizen. hut for the lawlcSs Inc
same ~ true Of international law ana JUS
tiee In the league neither the t'nlted
:, atrs nor any other power is asked TO re-
sen any part oi It's sovereignty, by
Abandoning the right Of using IT'S armed
forcea to defend the weak against attack
ar to sunport any righteous cause. Tho
mower III All - held III allegiance until All
methods 10 avoid war have proven tutle,
tben all seek to find the best WAY 20 secure
sur,~ly and lasting peace. through en-
forcSment " international law.
Tnd,r tho covenant of the league, the
un,t.J States would have been an active
allv n the nations IN 1914 10 restrain Ger
many and would not have been spec
,ator of useless slaughter for 80 many
wears The league IN action AZ that tiinc
colid have prevented the war OF 4 It had
failei coul havr nv united action brought
'ha war to an early CONCLUSION
The Constitution Of the United States
s,v,,a ConqrcSa the power 20 raise and
s,t,,p arrn,cs and 20 declare war. Because
,h, covenant &c the leagIc does not re-
n,iire Congress ~ give UP this power, but
~ hold 4 i'm check until associated nations
hnvr trs, tlcd every means 20 preserve or
,s.,,rr ncace. Republicans cry The
ls,.nr ri,ns tn war, vote for Harding
a. krep this country out Of war l he
mower 10 plan FOR war whether IN the
Iene,ic or out ~ Il, belongs TO Congress.
Tho league plans for peace, hut when
war u forced hv some Germany ol the
fufnrr. The league falls back upon the
,,o,,cr ~ Congress and az other govern
,n,nts and 4, worldwide International
eo-operation ~ the powers, seeks 10 en-
forcr the Lave ~ nations and restore order.
p,caiisc the league does not preach peace
,,,er,.l, hut retain, the police power OF All
~ nations % safeguard their peace,
Rsruhhcans crv the league plans Tor war.
S,,ch huntug ran only deceive the u1iA-
t.Ihgcnt. For their consumption II Is m
tended.
In rais,ng thls objection 70 the league
tbc, r,,cal The arguments ~ paclhsts and
r,r,,.t ,crrars who would have kept this
co4nir, out 81 war az any prlce he league
dooa not mean = toothlcss paclhsm. II =
,hr yreatest effort IN the history oi the
world 10 guarantee world peace 10y every
method 81 international cooperation, oe-
Lind which stands the ursurrendercd police
,.,,,,rr of sovereign nations, ready 10 en-
gorc,, ~ tho command Of their govern
ments. the Just principles Of international
UaU Peace Is the purpose Of the league,
mi law and iustlcc must he upheld against
.,ggrpsSion. Because the league does not
surrender this first duty OF gover0 ment,
bnt recognizes that sovereign powers must
urhold hv force Il necessary. their laws
and trcat.es, the silly cry i raised that the
leaglc plans Tor wars
ThcodOrc Roosevelt said, N "fesr CTod
and Take our own Part, Let II be re-
mcmbercd that the only wav IN which
-,,cccssfullv io oppose wrong which ls
hacked l,- might j. 10 put over against u
r,gbt that - backcd hy might ne
leag,e rrcAgnizc- this principle q all good
.rvcrnmcui and would place the might oi
IN the league back OF all the international
laws that the nations decide are night and
,,st But Republicans say that II Plan
~ war Further argument becomes hope
less ~ this point
Rooscvclt also said Until as nation
W learn 20 put honor and duty above
safctV. and To encounter any hazard with
stern iov rather thAu fail IL our Obligations
20 ourselves and others, II IS mere Jolly to
enter INTO leagues for world peace or INTO
ANY other movements OF similar char
,rfer Bv this test, not the league so
much as the character OF this nation Is on
tr,al ~ tins election. 4 nation that would
follow the HardIng-Johnson maxim OF
.'~afetv First would be 10y the Roosevelt
standard not morally qual for such
league. But do not believe that Harding
and other opponents Of the league repre-
s.nt the real American people, and the
ONLY way 10 prove II IS 70 tel them so atthe
polls when tins great issue Is voted on.
The leagu, plans for war, snout tho
Harding pIrt.sAns. II that be true then
Al nations now lr the League are planning
fnr Sar That would be alarming i true
Bri no one "a k.s the false alarm seriously
Indeed thc country rests IN contentrd
,,..ar,tulness behind tho buwarks that
a.. L.srue l. building for tie protection ot
America against Germsn mllltarlsin, Rus
nan Bolshevi SIN typhus fever and hubon-
ic plague
But II the league ehould fail through the
imposition Of the United states, and war
should agaiu spread from the patches
where II still burns 20 becume 2 vast con-
fari ration, and onl, the league prevents
,his. who would then plan Tor war? II
would sgaiu he up 70 Congress TO plan for
uar on q huge scale. Do the Republican
leaders want the league 10 fail? Who
would pro by the failure Not the people
who would furnish the boys To :ght that
i certain. The League Us the only existing
safeguard of peace and 3 vote for Harding
Z ! vote against the league, vote 10
DESTROY the only existing safeguard Of
,,e,ce, without any assurance whatever of
bnding anything else - elective
iDIpDnytrient