Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-20
Woman's Point of View
League of Nations
CBy Edward n. Dingiey)

brought back from Europe.
Like all matters of public welfare
the Covenant of a League OF NaLohs
must be discussed dispasslonately anu
calmly, without reference to the emo
tions. 1t is a question OF vital I'M
portance touching the very life o.
the country. 1t requires sooe'
thought and serious consideration.
The women voters of the land want
the facts are are entitled to them.
What are they?
In the first place. the question Is
not over the Treaty of Peace
properly speaking. The question N
dispute is the Covenant of the
League of Nations which has been
attached to the Treaty of Peace and
made the first part and apparently
the most important part. thereof.
Strictly speaking the Covenant
has nothing to do with the Treaty
or should have nothing to. do with
it. Therefore it is erroneous to as
sumo thar an opponent of the Cow
enant" is an opponent of the Treaty
of Peace"
HCiC 10 HO oPpoSAlAoAi ~ bhS
Treaty of Peace" save perhaps one
section referring to the disposition OF
Shantung. the Chinese province.
The only opposition is to the Gov
enant of the League of Nations
something the people of the United
States never authorized the Peace
Commissioners to help create or sub
scribe to.
1t has been assumed by the pro-
motors Of the Covenant that il will
secure the peace of the world. or
take long step in that direction.
1t is charged by the opponents of the
Covenant that instead of promoting
peace, the Covenant will induce war.
The burden of proof is on the pro-
moters of the Covenant, to show that
the Covenant will end war or hold
war in check.
To establish their case, the pro-
motors of the Covenant argue that
the recent war was the result Of too
much "nationalism." and that the
nations of the world must form some
alliance, agreement or covenant.
pledging each other not to begin war
until the matter in dispute has been
submitted to a Council or Assembly
of the League CT Nations. II is ar
gued that if all thc nations combine
against one nation violating the terms
Of the agreement by beginning war,
the offending nation can be punished
by force Chat is by an army and
navy or by what is called an ''eco-
nomic boycott" All the other ma
tons will combine and force the one
country to keep the peace.
Promoters OF the Covenant rely on
the word peace" to win support, and
right here an appeal is made to the
women of the land-the mothers. The
difficulty is that this Is a pure as
sumption-not warranted by the
Covenant itself or by the experience
Of the world.
Before accepting this emotional ap-
peal OF the promoters Of the Gov
enant, the straight thinking women
of the country should stop and think.
If such a Covenant as is proposed
would bring permanent peace, no one
could offer a single objection-in
fact all would rejoice and praise the
promoters of the Plan.
: Whether such a plan actually will
Erfng peace or not can only be de-
termined by an analysis of the docu-
ment, and an examination of the eX-
periments of former times to bring
peace
League of Nations such as is
suggested, cannot maintain peace.
unless it is clothed with some sort
of power or authority to compel the
members to obey The mandate or
decisions of the League. This neces-
sarily involves government above
the government of the several mem
ber-states. That is what is meant
when the opponents CT the Covenant
say the promoters seek to establish
a super-government"
The Covenant OF the League of
Nations as presented by President
Wilson undertakes to give the au-
thority to declare war to the Council
of the League of Nations, when such
authority rests with Congress alone
rms gave rise to the Lodge amend
ment to Article y of the Covenant.
to which substantially the Demo-
cratic candidate for President as
sents
The Covenant of the League Of
Nations in its essentials, compels the
United States to enter mo he settle
ment of all political and territorial
quarrels of all the members. This
will mean war, not peace
The Covenant of the League of Ma
tons viii rob the United States of
much Of its sovereignty. and surren-
der much of it's national and consti-
tutional authority. This cannot be
done without an amendment of the
Constitution.
This Is not the first time the ma
tons have undertaken ito preserve
peace" From the days of the Holy
Alliance" to the days of the Paris
Conference. many attempts have been
made to maintain world peace by
paper contract.
Are the women voters of the coun-
try any less patriotic than the men?
Are they any less proud of Ameri-
can traditions than the men who
fought in the past and in recent
years?
To the brave and enduring women
Of the land the nation owes a, debt i,
never can pay. To the women the
country owes its existence-its per-
solidity.
It was a man who suggested that {,