Indiana daily times., 1921-12-10

unhappily has shown that there is no
corner Of the earth so remote or so
valueless that it is not capable Of giving
cause for controversy or even for war be-
tween the tribes and the nations Of man
kind. But the islands of the Pacific, al
though remote from the dwelling places
Of the mass Of humanity, are far from
valueIess.
ISLANDS OF PACIFIC
VIRTUALLY UNCoUNTED.
The Islands Of the southwestern
Pacific extend over y It space in that
great ocean. They reach from he Mar
quesas on the east to the Philippines on
the west; from the Aluuan Islands on
the north nearly TO the Antarctic circle
on the south. They are far more numer-
Gus than is generally realized l don't
know what the total number is, but
am informed as to the Philippines, and
1t appears that this group alone con-
tains more than 3,1OO islands, of which
1000 have names. We Lave all probably
heard Of the remark of Robert Louis
Stevenson, when on leaving one of the
Pacific islands, he was asked how he
was going to Samoa. He replied that he
would go out and turn to he left. These
islands are, comparatively speaking, so
dense that we might describe them in
the words Of Browning, as the
'Sprinkled isles
Lily on lily that o'erlace he 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 un-
noticed except by wandering seamen or
stray adventurers. They range from
Australia continental in magnitude, to
Atolls, where there are no dwellers but
the builders Of the coral reefs or lonely
rocks marking the peaks of mountains
which rise from the oceans floor through
miles Of water before they touch the air
"To the Western and Eastern world
alike. most Of the islands Of the South
western Pacific, are little known. There
still fingers about them the charm so
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 sur
face Of the patient earth.
STILL SURROUNDED BY
GLAMOR OF ROMANCE.
u UOn these ISLANDS SUN SnlneS the
glamor Of romance in the stories Of Mel
Vile and the writings Of Robert Louis
Stevenson, to whom the South Seas gave
! both a grave and a monument imperish-
able as his own fame But the Pacific
islands are much more than this, They
possess certain qualities other than rat
ural beauty and romantic charm, which
to many minds are more entcing. The
larger ones are rich In many ways, fer
tile in the gifts of soil and climate and
in other forms Of riches desired by men
which extend from the untold mineral re-
sources 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 ft for the support
and prosperity Of civilized man. In a
word. they have a very great material
value, largely undeveloped, and where
this condition exists the desires Of men
viii enter and conflicting human desires
have throughout recorded history been
breeders Of war
Thus far the wastes Of the Pacific
ocean with all the crowding islands. ex-
cept 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 tc
Samoa because there was a dispute in re-
gard to those distant islands There
fore. an agreement among the nation,
controlling these islands has very seri
Gus importance to the peace of the
world We make the experiment here in
this treaty Of trying to assure peace In
that immense region by trusting the pres
eryation fits tranquility TO the good
faith of the nations responsible for It,
The world has just passed through a
war. the very memory OF which makes US
shudder We all believe deep in our
hearts that this hideous destruction Of
life, this suffering and ruin which still
beset us, must not be permitted to come
again if we can prevent it.
TREATY CAN'T STAY
WHISPERING PEOPLE.
''If the nations Of the earth are still in
the lnuermost recesses Of their con
sciousness planning or dreaming of
coming wars and longing for conquests.
no treaties of partition and no alliances
can stay them; but II, as I firmly hope,
the world has learned a frightfnl lesson
from the awful experiences of the great
war of 1914, then our surest appeal in
order to prevent wars In the future must
be to the hearts. the sympathies, the rea-
son, and the higher impulses OF mankind.
Such an appeal we make today by this
agreement among four great nations.
We rely upon their good faith to carry
out the terms of this instrument, know
ing that by so doing they Will prevent
war, should controversies ever arise
among them. If this spirit prevails and
rules we can have no better support than
the faith Of nations. For one, I de-
voutly believe the spirit Of the world is
such that we can trust to the good faith
and the high purposes which the trea ty
have laid before you embodies and en-
shrines.
Agreements Of this kind. know. have
often been made before. only to fail. But
there has been 4 far-reaching change in
he mental condition Of men and women
everywhere. That which really counts Is
the intention Of the nations who make
the agreement. In this hour of trial and
darkness which has followed the war with
Germany, the spirit Of the world is no
longer upon the viii and honor Of those
who sign 1t. We at least make the great
experiment and appeal to the men and
women Of the nations to help US sustain
il I'm spirit and in truth"