The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1920-09-09

pathy and desire to serve, that most
reluctantly and with grave misgivings,
as / announced at the time, | with
reservations designed to preserve our
essential liberty Of action. The record
is made and under the same condi-
lions, confronted by the same slterna
tive, should vote now as vsted then.
But the conditions have changed
Experience has brought enlightenment
We know now that the League con
stituted at Versailles is utterly impo-
tent as a preventative of wars 1t is
so obviously impotent that IL has not
even been tried. The original League.
mistakenly conceived and unreason-
ably insisted upon, has undoubtedly
passed beyond the possibility of restor-
alton. The maturer judgment of the
world will be that 1t deserved to pass
for the very simple reason that, con.
trary to all OF the tendencies developed
| by the civilizing processes of the world,
1t rested upon the power of might, not
of right
THE assertion is made frequently
that through the surrender of our ma
tionality we might have saved the life
OF the covenant-that is to say, that,
although twenty eight nations could
not make 1t function, one added to the
twenty-eight would have achieved a
| glowing success, provided always that
the one were America.
This pays to America the tribute of
exceptional influence, but suggest that
II the world Is. dependent upon our
action to bring about the supreme
realization, then we ought to have the
say about our own freedom in partici-
| patton therein. But let us consider
what is meant by this reliance upon
America. What canAit' signify If not
that it is to the United States, and to
the United States alone, that the other
twenty-eight nations look FOR the bone
and sinew, the money, the munitions
and the men to sustain the entire or
| ganization, not as an agency of peace,
but as an armed force?
| "A few days ago a delegation of an
| organization which calls itself society
for the prevention of war appealed to
the Premier of Great Britain to unite
and use the powers of the world In
defense of Poland, Armenia and the
Dardenelles. The British Premier re-
| piled, according to his remarks quoted
| by the newspapers, to the effect that,
while the formation of an interna-
| tional army would be an ideal solu-
| tion,' 1t could not be accomplished be-
cause the European nations could not
| furnish the troops and the United
| States had withdrawn from co-opera-
| tion "a polite and diplomatic phrase
and more exactly meaning. Of course,
| that the Senate Of the United States
had not completed the partial obliga-
ton assumed by the President to do
that very thing-that is. to furnish the
| troops Could clearer indication of
| what would have been expected OF this
| country as member of the League of
Nations be desired? Hardly. Some.
| too, think, or say they think, that this
| extraordinary service should be rem
dered. | do not agree with them, but,
| assuming that they are right, venture
| to note that nothing stands in the way
| of performance. The President has
| only to call upon Congress to declare
| war and to confer upon him specific
authority to raise armies for the pro-
lection of the power which, though
| recently associated with, are still for
| eign to our own republic.
at is reasonably safe to assume,
| however, that the President will not
| pursue this course. Fortunately he Is
| under no compelling moral obligation
under the League to do so. His recent
unhappy experience, moreover, In ask
| ing Congress to send American boys TO
| police Armenia, would hardly encour-
age repetition of request already
courteously but quite firmly declined
| by the Congress. What then in like
! circumstances would be the answer of
the British Premier himself? In his
| own words, addressing meeting of the
| Coalition Liberals on August IL last,
according to the press reports, he said
| When the terrible question of peace
| or war has to be decided, our first duty
| as a government is to the people, who
! trust us not to commit their treasure
to any unjustifiable adventure. Nothing
but the most imperative call of national
uoHOr, ndtlOndi saleIy anu national
| freedom can justify war. Before this
country is committed to 1t. even In the
most limited form. we must be salts
fed that these are in peril
81 quote these telling words, my
countrymen, with the utmost satisfac-
ton, because with one amendment they
express to a nicely my own position
l take for granted that the Prime
Minister meant to include in treasure
the greatest treasure Of all, but, for
| myself l should leave nothing to be
inferred. Foremost and above all else
to be safeguarded by those of us who
hold the trust Of the people, 1t goes
without saying, but cannot be too often
repeated, is the manhood Of the nation.
Nov 1t may appear to you that I