Evening star., 1921-12-10
TEXT OF SENATOR LODGES SPEECH
INLAY1NG PACT BEFORE CONFERENCE

of the earth SO remote or SO value
less that it is not capable Of giving
cause for controversy or even for
war between the tribes and the ma
tions of mankind. But the islands
of the Pacific. although remote
from the dwelling places Of the
mass of humanity, are far from
valueless.
THE islands of the southwestern
Pacific extend over vast space in
that great ocean They reach from
the MarQuesas on the east to the
Philippines on the west: from the
Aleutian Islands on the north near
ly to the Antarctic Circle on the
south. They are far more numer-
Gus than is generally realized. 1
do not know what the total num-
Der is, but am informed as to the
Philippines, and it appears that
this group alone contains more
than 3.100 islands. Of which 1000
have names. We have all prob,
ably heard of the remark CT Rob-
ert Louis Stevenson. when. on
leaving one of the Pacific islands.
he was asked how he was going to
Samoa. He replied that he should
just go out and turn to the left.
These islands are. comparatively
speaking, so dense that we might
describe them in the words of
Browning as the
SpriEkled isles,
Lily on lily that o'erlace the sea
"And yet the region through
which they are scattered is SO vast
that the isles of Greece and the
Aegean sea, so famous in history
and in poetry, could easily be lost
therein and continue unnoticed ex-
,sy$r
adventures. They range from
Australia, continental in magni-
tude. to atolls where there are no
dwellers but the builders of the
coral reefs or lonely rocks mark
ing the peaks of mountains which
rise up from the oceans floor
through miles of water before they
touch the air. To the western and
the eastern world alike most OF
the islands of the southwestern
Pacific are little known. There
still fingers about them the charm
30 compelling and so fascinating
which an undiscovered country has
for the sons of men who are weary
of main travelled roads and the
trampled highways Of trade and
commerce which cover the surface
of the patient earth.
Upon these islands still shines
the glamor of romance in the sto-
ries Of Melville and the writings
of Robert Louis Stevenson. to
whom the south seas gave both a
grave and a monument fmperish-
able as his own fame. But the Pa
cff1c islands are much more than
: this. They possess certain Quali-
ties other than natural beauty and
romantic charm, which to many
minds are more enticfng. The
larger ones are rich in many ways,
fertile in the gifts of soil and cli-
mate and in other forms of riches
desired by men. which extend from
the untold mineral resources OF
Australia to the pearls which are
brought from the depths of the
ocean. There are among them all
great areas of forest and of plain
At for the support and prosperity
Of civilized man. In word they
have very great material value,
largely undeveloped, and where
this condition exists the desires of
men will enter and conflicting hu-
man desires have throughout re-
corded history been breeders of
war.
Thus far the wastes Of the Pa
Gifts ocean with all the crowdfng
islands, except on the edges Of the
continents, have not been the scene
Of great wars; and yet not many
years have passed since three great
nations sent their warships to
Samoa because there was a dis
pute in regard to those distant is
fs,I,,..,,, \