East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-03-09
ARTICLE 10 VITAL OATH


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fairs and must be recognized. or there
is no secure basis for the peace which
the world 50 longingly desires and So
desperately needs.
''If article 10 is not adopted and
acted upon, the governments which
reject it will. think, be guilty of bad
faith to their people whom they in
duced to make the infinite sacrifices
of the war by the pledge that they
would be fighting to redeem the world
from the old order of force and ag-
gresson.
They will be acting also In bad
faith to the opinion of the world at
large to which they appealed for sup
port in a concerted stand against the
aggressions and pretensions of Ger
many. If we were to reject article 10
or so to weaken it as to take its fun
| force out of 1t, it would mark us as
| desiring to return to the old world OF
jealous rivalry and MISUNDERSTANDING
from which our gallant soldiers have
| rescued u.s. and would leave us with
out any vision or new conception of
justice and peace. We would have
learned no lesson from the war but
gained only the regret that it had in
volved us in it's maelstrom of suffer-
ing. If America has awakened. as the
rest of the world has, to the vision of
new day in which the mistakes OF
the past are to be corrected. it will
welcome the opportunity to share the
responsibilities of article 10.
Ambitions Not Yet Dead.
1t must not be forgotten, Senator
that this article constitutes a renun-
citation of wrong ambition on the part
Of powerful nations with whom we
were associated in the war. 1t is by
no means certain that without this ar
ticle any such remuneration will take
place MiIitaristic ambitions and i'm
perialistic policies are by no means
dead even in counsels of the nations
whom we most trust and with whom
we most desire to be associated in the
tasks of peace. Throughout the .ses-
sions of the conference in Paris it was
evident that a militristic party, under
the most influential leadership. was
seeking to gain ascendancy in the
counsels of France. They were de-
feated then. but are in control now.
The chief arguments advanced in Par
Is in support of the Italian claims on
the Adriatic were strategic arguments
that is to say. military arguments
which had at their back the thought
of naval supremacy in that sea. For
my own part. I am as tolerant OF i'm
perialistic designs on the part Of 9TH |
er nations as was of such designs on |
the part of Germany.
"The choice is between two ideals: |
On the one hand, the ideal Of democ-
racy which represents the rights Of |
free peoples everywhere to govern
themselves and on the other hand. the |
ideal OF Imperialism which seeks DOM
mate by force and unjust power. an
ideal which is by no means dead and
which is earnestly held in many quar-
ters still. Every imperalistic influ- 1
ence in Europe was hostile to the EN-
bodiment of article 10 in the covenant
and its defeat now would mark COM
plete contamination of their efforts to
nulIify the treaty. / hold the doctrine
Of article 10 TO be the essence of AM
ericanisu. We cannot repudiate 1t or
weaken it without repudiating our
1wn principles. I;
Imperialists Against League.
"The imperialist wants no league OF
nations. but H. in response to the uni
-ersaI cry OF the masses everywhere.
here IL to be one. he is interested to
'ecure one suited to his own purposes. )