Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1920-09-09


lack consciousness of the rightful de-
mands of humanity, is to utter gross
and objectionable libel. To attribute
meanness to those of us who, in the
performance Of our public duty, re-
fused to participate in what we sin
cerely regarded as betrayal of our
own country in the interest of others,
is to discredit the intelligence and
discrimination of the great mass of
American people who directly, by
their votes, put us in our positions of
trust. For myself, | yield to no man
In willingness, aye, in eagerness, 10
render the greatest conceivable assist
ance to the stricken peoples of Eu-
rope. / include all of them and
speak with genuinely sympathetic
heart, whether it is to mention de-
vastated France, or sorely-triei Italy,
or noblys.ruggling Poland, or dis
tracted and misguided Russia, or gal
liant little Belgium, or pitiably deceived
Austria, or the ruthless invader, Ger
many, which came to the supreme
tragedy through a leadership which
brought disaster to her misguided pe0-
pie.
at was with that feeling of SYM
pathy and desire to serve, that most
reluctantly and with grave misgivings,
as ! announced at the time, l with
reservations designed to preserve our
essential liberty Of action. The rec
ord is made, and under the same con-
ditions, confronted by the same alter
native, | should vote now as l voted
then.
Conditions Have Changed.
But the conditions have changed.
Experience has brought enlighten-
ment. We know now that the league
constituted at Versailles Is utterly inn
potent as preventive of wars. 1t is
SO obviously impotent that it has not
even been tried. The original league,
mistakenly conceived and unreason-
ably insisted upon, has undoubtedly
passed beyond the possibility of res
toration. The maturer judgment of
the world will be that it deserved to
pass for the very simple reason that,
contrary to all Of the tendencies devel-
oped by the civilizing processes of the
world, it rested upon the power of
might, not of right.
1.-THE assertion is made frequently
that through the surrender of our ma
Sionality we might have saved the life
of the cOyenant-that Is to say, that,
although twentyeight 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 real
fzation then we ought to have the say
about our own freedom in participant
ing therein. But let us consider what
Is meant by this reliance upon Ameri-
ca. What can 1t signify if not that
1t 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 Telling Admission.
"a few days ago a delegation of an
organization which calls itself a So
ciety for the Prevention of War ap-
pealed to the premier Of Great Britain
to unite and use the powers of the
world in defense Of Poland Armenia
and the Derdanelies. The British pre-
mier replied, according to his remarks
quoted by the newspapers, to the eff
feet that, while the formation of AN
international army would be an ideal
solution it could not be accomplish
ed because 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 a clearer indication of
what would have been expected of this
country as member OF the league be
desired? Hardly. Some, too, think, or
say they think, that this extraordinary
service should be rendered. I do not
agree with them. but, assuming that
they are right, I venture to note that
nothing stands In the way Of perform
ance The President has only to call
upon Congress to declare war, and to
confer upon him specific authority to
raise armies for the protection of the
powers which, Though recently asso-
ciated with, are still foreign to our
own republic.
sit Is reasonably safe to assume,
however, that the President will not
pursue this course Fortunately, he
is under no compelling moral obliga-
ton under the league to do so. His
recent unhappy experience, moreover,
in asking Congress to send American
boys to police Armenia would hardly
encourage repetition Of request al
ready courteously but quite firmly de-
clined by the Congress. What then, In
like circumstances, would be the an
swer Of the British premier himself?
In his own words, addressing a meet
ing of the Coalition Liberals on Au-
gust II last. according to the press
reports, he said:
"When the terrible question of
peace or war has to be decided, our
first duty as government is to the
people, who trust us not to commit
their treasure to any unjustifiable adj