The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-10-15
MHAT is TIRE LEAGuEg

among member Of similar letters,
we have received the following from
a young woman voter
VIII you kindly publish the mean
ing Of the League Of Nations SO that
the iaboring people of ordinary edu-
cation viii be able to read and under
stand exactly what we are voting for.
have heard it discussed several
times. but every explanation was diff
ferent, SO am appealing to you for an
understanding.
The confusion in the public mind
concerning the League Is hardy sur.
prising, IN spite Of all that has been
written and spoken on the subject.
No great plan for the good Of man
kind was ever simpler in its essen
tails and none was ever more vicious
u and mendaciousiy muddled, misrep-
resented and maligned.
The idea Of a League Of Nations to
keep the peace Of the world is not
new. Il was advocated by men like
Roosevelt. Taft, Root. Dr. Eliot. and
even Lodge, long years before Wood
row Wilson put it into concrete shape
in Paris. The present League is the
outcome Of an almost universal de-
nand growing out Of the great war.
Men and women everywhere, especial
II those who had suffered most, cried
out: 4This horror must not occur
again. The nations of the world must
baad together to prevent in future
what. we, have suffered. Taey must
combine to prevent one or several ma
lions, fired by the lust for loot and po-
wer, from running amuex and dreneh7
ing the world in blood. Decent ma
tions must associate themselves to-
gether to promote peace and justice
and euro international anarchy"
The League Of Nations is the an
swer to that cry It is as simple in
principle as the Golden Rule. It's prac
ticie organization is less intricate and
more easily understood than the city
government Of Baltimore.
What is this covenant or agreement
already entered into BY 81 nations Of
the world? It includes, among other
things, that the member nations win
strive to maintain friendly relation
ships among themselves and outside
nations as well; that they will respect
each others independence and protect
each others boundaries against
external aggression" such as Ger
many $ rape Of Belgium; that they
viii submit any differences that may
arise to arbitration and under no cir
cunnstances resort to war until three
months after the arbitrator decision
shall be rendered; that they will try
to reconcile any differences between
members or outside nations when
they first arise, so that the danger Of
war may be unlimited.
But what if. after all these precau-
tons, some outlaw Of nation should
run amuck, as Germany did in 1915
Article is of the covenant reads:
Should any member of the League
resort to war in disregard OF its coy
enants under Articles II, Is or IS. it
shall ipso facto be deemed to have
committed an act of war against all
other members of the League, which
hereby undertake Immediately to sub
iect it to the severance of all trade or
financial relations, the prohibition OF
all intercourse between their nation
ais and the nationals of the covenant
breaking State, and the prevention of
all financial, commercial or personal
intercourse between nationals Of
the covenant breaking State, whether
q member of the League or not.
It shall be the duty of the Council
in such case to recommend to the
several governments concerned what
effective military or naval force the
members of the League shall sever
ally contribute to the armed forces to
be used to protect the covenants Of