Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-01-06


/ ing the former German colonies for
their own benefit Under the World
! Club plan those colonies were to be
! protected by the countries given
! charge of them and the natives
taught to use and enjoy what they
| produced. But Great Britain, in
particular, has sought to make her
| self rich at the expense of those new
territories. The other members Of
the World Club saw the justice of
the German complaint, and tried to
/ review the action by which most of
| the colonies had been given to Eng
land, France and Japan. But those
three countries refused to permit
the forty or more other members to
have anything to say about it, and
one of the most serious disputes of
the whole meeting resulted; in fact,
almost the last things that were said
were some hot words passed be-
tween the English delegate and the
representatives from some smaller
nations.
zone Of the features of the World
Club plan called upon all members
to stop raising armies and building
battleships, yet one of the Belgian
|
did not believe in such a policy, and
urged that the World Club appoint
a general staff of military men to
study the best ways to wage war.
He said he was convinced the World
Club would have to compel obed-
| fence to its commands by force OF
arms. Which, of course, Is exactly
what republican senator's predicted
would be the case.
"Some of the members of the
World Club did not take part in the
Great War, but they did sign the
club plan which, in effect, provides
that all members shall assist in en-
| forcing the treaty by which the war
was ended. These neutral members
protest against taking part in that
enforcement, but, of course they
have signed the plan and their COM
plants are too late All they can
do now is to grumble and obey the
orders Of the other members"
"Didn't the meeting do anything
at all except quarrel" anxiously in
quired Ruth. 81 should think that
at least one man in peace meeting
of that kind would have tried to
smile and make people feel happy"
81 should think so, too" agreed
Uncle Ted, hut, so far as | have
been able to learn, every day
brought up something new to kindle
| the anger of the delegates and make
even more remote the chance of do
| ing anything for world peace. For
| instance, the day after the last in
cident of which / spoke, one of the
club committees reported that no
changes would be made in the club
plan. Several members had urged
certain amendments that their coun-
tries earnestly desired to have
adopted, and when they were all
turned down there was great dis
satisfaction. One delegate, the man
from Argentina, was so angry that
he went home.
"You remember, children, that
President Wilson said that the heart
of the world club plan was the par
| agraph that says every member
shall protect the territory of every
other member. The fight against
that provision, more than any other,
was what defeated the plan in the
United States, and it is against that
very provision that the members at
Geneva were loudest in complaint.
Denmark said she would not send an
army for such a purpose unless her
parliament expressly gave permits
sion, and it is certain that the par
agraph can never be enforced in the
way President Wilson wanted it.
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 member of the
Club, and as one man expressed it,
make the ghost walk In plain
language that means that they want
this country to come in and put up
the money and men that will give
force to the decisions of the Club.
But even if they cannot persuade
the United States to become a real
member they see way to draw up
on our national prestige and wealth.
One day the meeting stopped its
quarreling and every member voted
to send an invitation to President
Wilson to become the Judge in the
dispute between Armenia, the
Turks, and the bloody Bolsheviks.
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 accepted the invitation, and
now the members are telling each
I other that it really means that the
United States is to take charge of
| the Armenian question hereafter.
! Well, they are likely to have their
| eyes opened if they think congress
is going to send any money or SOL
diers to that far-off land.
Now, children, this has been a
! disagreeable story, but / hope II will
I not make you have any bad dreams.
/ 1t is quite impossible to tell any
! thing about the World Club and its
/ doings without leaving a bad taste
| in the mouth and a mighty poor
| opinion of the world in general. 1t
I is certainly disheartening to see
most of the nations of the world as
! sembled together in one meeting,
! each loudly protesting that 1t wants
/ to see peace in the world forever
] after, and yet, secretly, determined
not to do anything to bring peace
about that will interfere at all with
I its own welfare. There is a bright
! spot, however, when We see our own
country free from it all. The re-
| publicans OF our senate had the
! courage to tell the world openly that
/ their first concern was for their
own country and they would enter
no club that would interfere with
! that duty"