Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-12-02
An ASSOCIATION.

have kept III touch With the trend
OF affairs since the tn Of last
March. President Harding i inform
ally proposing IN Association Of Ma
lions. Just what form il will take.
should 1t matcrialiZe no nuv knows.
Not even MIR. Harding himself
Knows. II Is Il self cvidCn, fact tina!
Al there IS amy agreement among
The nations at all. there must be
some Kind Of pact among them. The
idea O! this Association seems to I'M
ply that ii will become Il body of
diplomats meeting from time to
tnne without chart or compass. but
ut each mccling to work out such
plans or Developments As may suit
the agreed minds of men who may
chance TO be at that meeting. By
this means We may have one kind of
international understanding to-day.
as ii were, and another tomorrow.
The weakness of Il plan OF this Kind
can not escape the mind of all. II
is trying 10 do something without
any one being responsible. This
will ever he Il failure. We give our
readers the benefit of Senator
f}orah'S statement. He was against
the League Of Nations. lie plainly
makes plain where his choice would
be as to the two. Mr.. Borah says:
The proposed association Of ma
tons has not been reduced to form
nor yet defined. But from what one
can gather here and there il is the
old League Of Nations under anuth-
CT name. 1t will be engaged in pre-
clSely the same kind Of work and
DONG the same kind Of things that
were proposed by the League. Ii
Is not what you call it. but what il
IS, that counts. Fundamentals and
an the practical workings OF the as
Soclatlon of nations it will not differ
from the League of Nations. sec
no reason, therefore. why tho I3 na-
tons which have signed the League
should be asked to abandon it and
transfer their names to an aSsocia-
lion Of nations. If we want to 90
INTO this kind Of Il proposition there
IS no reason why We should not cx-
pertinent with the one they have.
IT Is claimed by the associates of the
League that the present League has
been of much service TO EuroDc. IF
SO There lis no reason for asking Eli
rope TO scrap the old one and take
on a new one. If we arc going into
IL with Europe, we ought to 90 i'm.
II not, we ought not to be handing
her 4 new league every 90 DAYS. She
Will likely conclude that after The
next President election She wo,|d
nave another league. | see no diff
erencc whatever i'll joining the pres
ent League and joining another
league by a new name.
The United States operates under
written constitution. Great Brit
am has no written constitution. One
OF The arguments being put forth
IN favor of the association of ma
TINS Is that Mr.. Wilson made mis-
take IN giving his plan a written
constitution; that we should adopl
The British idea and undertake TO
conduct the League or an associa-
uon OF natIonS without any written
cnStltution or written covenant
whatever. In other words. thai The
new association will consist Of rep
rcscntativcs Of different govern
nenta coming together with no linn
statl0n upon their jurisdiction or
power or authority other than their
own discretion. 4 cGnclavc Of diplo-
mats sitting behind closed doors
with nothing to direct or limit their
powers save their OWL viii and dis
erection would be a rather interest
ing proposition. ] am inclined TO
think that if the American people
choose league they will choose one
which has its powers defined. or. at
least an attempt 10 define them. ratl,
or than trust their destiny to the
unbridlcd discretion Of few men.
Lloyd George suggested some time
ago, according TO The press dis
patches, that the Angli-Japanesc al
lance be extended to an Anglo
Observation-Disclosures alliance and
that this alliance take upon itself
The duty OF administering China.
Now 1t is said that such an alliance
would be wholly objectionable TO
The American people, but that under
An association Of nations the same
thing could be cTcctuatcd and ac-
complishcd. 1T is also being urged
That while the people Of the United
States would not be willing to form
an alliance with France and Great
Britain to guarantee lnr security
OF France. the same thing could bt
accomplished under an association
OF nations without any constitution.
1t is also urged that the inicrna-
tonal debt could be more success.
July manipulated through The as
Socialion. All Of which things sim
ply disclose that The associations of
nations is another mann, Cor u,a