Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-12-08
CONFERENCE is BIG
GET-TOCETHER MEETING
BUSINESS IDEAS APPLIED TO
NATIONS VERSUS DIPLo-
MATIC TANGLES.

You know why you say that and
SO do l." was Jacks reply to his
next-door chum, Freddie, when Fred
die, had kept up a rapid-fire con-
yerst ton in which he insisted that
President Harding's suggestion of
some sort of association of nations
was just like Woodrow Wilson's
world club plan.
why do 1t, then?" was Freddie's
reply.
Because your father is Demo-
erat and you don't want to admit
that our President, who happens to
be a Republican, ever thinks TO-
himself. How do you suppose the
big conference in Washington ever
got there If it wasn't because Pres
ident Harding worked out the plan
and succeeded in starting it so well
that he could go back to his desk
and run this country"
"Oh, you kiddies," exclaimed I'm
Gle Ted as he arrived on the scene of
battle. you must not take sides
like that about things as big as this
conference which means so much to
the future of the world. Everybody
must pull together. So far as Pres
ident Harding's suggestion of an as
ISOLATION of nations is concerned. il
has nothing TO do with the world
club plan. So rest easy on that
score"
Tell us something about it," said
Ruth
First of ALL began Uncle Ted.
"the suggestion put out by President
Harding is no more like the world
ic be
would be no obdy of representatives
as in the world club. There would
not be any written set of rules. as
for the club. No penalties would be
provided for those who violate
agreements. It's biggest difference
is this With the big conference run
ming so smoothly in Washington,
with greater gains made toward lin
lting ornaments than ever before,
President Harding no doubt felt that
If nations could get together so we'll
this time they could do it again,
provided they were not tied hand
and foot by lot of rules. He put
out the suggestion while the confer
ence is in session so that discussion
OF the idea could be started, there
by getting the ball rolling toward
that ultimate, but far-away point,
world peace.
Another big fact is that this new
idea would include ALL countries,
even Germany and Russia, (when
Russia becomes a stable govern
ialt,l J Ipyitati9ns Eci.la he re-t
conference and the various countries
could send representatives or not,
Just as they wished. Id other
words, no strings would be attached
to the invitation and nobody's feel
ings hurt If they didn't come BUT
land children, that little word is
always big, but in this case bigger
than ever no nation would care to
stand aside from such meetings.
Nine times out of ten, moral force is
greater than the sword, particularly
in these times when the world is sick
OF war. The people who make up
the various countries would not
stand long for those in power who
would refuse to join in a discussion
OF matters such as are now being
talked over in Washington. That is
the great power behind such meet
ings as the one in Washington and
those suggested for the future by
our President. 1t isn't matter of
forming club such as the league OF
nations that gives one country six
times the power OF another so that
the gathering ends in putting some
thing over 1t is simply a PROPOSE
ton of asking nations 20 get togeth-
er and talk over serious matters,
leaving II to moral force such as is
being displayed today throughout
the world, to sway the meeting into
the right channel.
"The relations between the var
ious European countries are not set
tied. Great Britain and France are
arguing over questions In the Near
East as. we'll as Germany's settle
ment in the terms OF the Versailles
treaty. France feels she must have
a large army and the fact that Great
Britain has fallen into line with Sec
rotary Hughes ideas for reduction
OF armament has not helped the feel
ing between these two countries. But
that Is what the conference is for
and by the time Il is ended a real
understanding will have been reach
ed. 1t now looks as IL Premier Lloyd
George of England will come to this
country; he may even be on his way
by this time. And the suggestion of
our President has had more TO do
with his final decision to come than
any other one thing. He knows that
now is the time to get together as
sane, sensible, business men. No
alliances are necessary, in the first
place. and the world knows that the
United States will not enter one.
"Our fathers established this
country on policy OF keeping out
of alliances and the world is no diff
ferent today from what 1t was then.
We cannot tie ourselves to Europe
by rash promises, but we can act
with them, the same as business men
get together, and try to reach an I'M
derstanding that will benefit not on