The state herald., 1921-01-04
PANDORA'S BOX AT GENEVA-AN
UNCLE TED BEDTIME STORY

I
and obey the orders of the other
members"
Didn't the meeting do anything al
all except quarrel" anxiously inquir
ed Ruth. II should think that at least
one man in a peace meeting Of that
kind would have tried to smile and
make people feel happy"
II should think 30, too" agreed
Uncle Ted" but, SO far as l have
been able to learn, every day brought
up something new to kindle the an.
ger OF the delegates and make even
more remote the chance of doing any.
thing for world peace. For instance,
the day after the last incident Of
which l spoke, one of the club com.
mittees reported that no changes
would be made In the club plan. Sew.
eral members had urged certain
amendments that their countries
earnestly desired to have adopted,
and when they were all turned down
there was great dissatisfaction. One
delegate, the man from Argentina,
was so argry that he went home.
You remember, children, that
President Wilson said that the heart
of the world club plan was the para
graph that says every member shall
protect the territory of every other
member. The fight against that pro.
vision, more than any other, was what
defeated the plan In the United
States. and it is against that very
provision that the members at Ge-
neva were loudest in complaint. Den.
mark said she Would not send an
army for such purpose unless her
parliament expressly gave permission.
and it is certain that the paragraph
can never be enforced ir the way
President Wilson wanted 1t.
There is one thing. however. that
all the forty or more members of the
World Club were agreed on. And
that was that the United States
should become n member OF the club.
and. as one man expressed 1t, make
the ghost walk" In plain language,
that means that they want this coun.
try TO come in and put up the money
and the men that will give force to
the decisions of the club. But even
II they cannot persuade the. United
States to become real member they
see a way to draw upon our national
prestige and wealth. One day the
meeting stopped its quarreling and
every member voted to send an invi-
tation to President Wilson to become
the Judge In the dispute between Ar
mnia, the Turks and the bloody B6l.
sheviks.
Although for years and years the
poor Armenians have been abused by
the Turks and many thousands Of
them killed. none Of the members Of
the club cared to protect them-that
is. do the very thing that they agreed
to do when they signed the club plan
so they tried to unload the Job on
to the United States. Mr.. Wilson ac.
cepted the invitation. and now the
members are telling each other that
II really means that the United
States is to take charge of the Ar
menian question hereafter Well.
they are likely to have their eyes
opened II they think Congress is 60
ing to send aay money or soldiers
to that far of land.
Now children. this has been dis.
agreeable story. but hope II will not
make you have any bad dreams. II
is quite impossible to tell anything
about the World Club and It's doings
without leaving n bad taste In the
mouth and mighty poor opinion Of
the world In general. II is certainly
disheartenine TO see most OF the ma.
tions OF the world assembled togcth.
er In enc meeting. each loudly pro.
testing that II wants TO see peace
In the worlc forever after. and yet.
secretly. determined not to do any.
thing to bring peace about that VIII
interfere at all with Its own welfare.
There IN a bright spot. however. when
we see our own country free from II
all. The republicans OF our senate
hnd the courage to tell the world
openly that their first concern was
for their own country and that they
would enter no club that would In.
terfere with that duty"