The Brunswick news., 1921-11-29
A COMBINATION FOR PEACE

League OF NdIlOnS, put merely Z
show how far wrong many real abl
Democratic papers often stray on VI
al issues. The view expressed b,
the Times Union was the RepubIi
ian view; the view that defeated tn
Democratic party and Woodrow Wi
ron. Here it is:
The Associated Press. report
from Washington published Sat
urday indicates broadening out
of the plans of President Hard
ing and leads to the belief that
the conference for the limitation
of armaments was the beginning
rather than the end. The ex-
treme Democratic papers-it
would be better to say the papers
that accepted the views Of the
president as infallible-have been
predicting all along that ultimate
ly the league of nations would be
accepted in this country. 1t seems
now not improbable that an as
sociation Of nations may result.
We have no objection to the
world league. 1t may be that a
combination of nations will be
made for the purpose Of prevent
ing war.
We opposed the league Of ma
tions agreed to at Versailles but
not the purpose it pretendedly
was designed to serve. So far
as we know the Times-Union was
the first paper in the United
States to advocate the formation
of an association or a league, of
nations-call 1t as you please
for the purpose Of preventing
war. The Times-Union has dis
cussed this question favorably for
number OF years and more than
five years ago published plan
for such an association. 1t differ
ed as widely from the agreement
reached at Versailles as friendli-
ness differs from hate, as justice
differs from force.
We opposed the proposed
league Of nations because 1t
would have led to war instead of
70 peace. In the first place the
Representatives of the victors of
the world war had no authority
from the nations they represents
ed TO form such a plan. 1t was
their business to end me war.
Afterwards delegates should
have been chosen TO agree on a
plan that would make war less
frequent II not impossible.
The delegates to the peace con-
ference went to II with their
hearts full az hate. That made
II impossible for them to do any
thing that would stand after the
hatred had subsidized and hatred
does subside. The war that broke
out In 1914 was not the first one
in the. worlds history. Men have
forgotten the bitterness OF other
wars and they will forget the Dit
terness of this.
The peace that was made at
Versailles was the peace of the
bayonet at the breast of the van
quished. There was nothing unu-
sual IN this. for that Is the peace
that ends most wars. But this
made the gathering utterly in
competent to lay down for the
world rules that would last al
ways because founded on reason
and Justice,
An insuperable objection TO the
league that was formed was that
IL did not include the vanquished
and Il also outlawed Russia. This
was nothing more than was to
have been expected the time
but 1t was absolutely insane even
from the standpoint OF the victors
for it left out OF the league two
nations that, il combined, could
conquer Europe and leaving them
out made 1t probable almost to
the point of certainty that they
wanld combine at some future
time. The signing of the league
covenant was the signature at the
death knen of France except on
the idea that the United States
and England would stand ready
TOR all time and at all times 10
protect her. What sort OF q
chance would the nations OF con-
tinental europe that conquered
Germany have against Germany
and Russia combined? Any man
N'ho thinks at all knows they
would have no chance at all.
Then there were so many freak
lsh things about the lcagae that
6ls now said 10 De ~gCing con.
sern." The British Empire had
SIX representatives in the council
40 other nations had more than