East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-10-27
FORUM LUNCHEON
Continued from page ~
Patriotism Rull1s Largo

This also needs to be emphasized as
g preliminary to any discussion con-
corning this conference, that national
patriotism hulks larger today than in
ternational sentimentalism. Nations
are not willing to abandon their as
pirations and their claims which they
assert are their rights as we see in the
bitterness that has been engendered in
the last three years over the question
of frontiers in France, Germany, Hun
gary Poland, Rumania and other
countries.
AS consequence of all this there is
o prior question to Disarmament, viz,
can there be brought about a new way
Of nation dealing with nation, and a
new method of approach to those
questions that have provoked misun-
derstanding and BRED suspicion? For
this reason the President has included
in the program for this Conference o
discussion of the Pacific and Far East
ern Problem.
Two Arc Contrasted
Now to bring out this new method Of
approach we need to contract the Con-
ference Of three years ago in Paris
with the one that will open on Armis-
tice Day. The representatives from
the United States who went to Paris
in 1918 carried in their minds the gem
esis and the genius of our National
Constitution. Here was a written in
strument that had been devised by
some very far-seeing men to govern
100000 people living under the sim
pie economic conditions of the 18th
century and yet so well conceived that
it was governing 112,000,00O people
living under the complex economic
conditions of the goth century. The
question was why cannot there be
written constitution that will do for
the world what the constitution of
1889 did for the United States? But
these two facts were evidently over
looked, first, that with all our differ
ences we are a home geneous people,
with one blood, one speech, one politi-
cal tradition and that that all men are
created equal and have been endowed
with life, liberty and the privilege of
finding happiness; second, that our
people have always insisted that the
Constitution shall seem to be inflex-
ible and not be inflexible. SO we have
Supreme Court to interpret it and
make it adaptable TO changing condi-
tions II was this model our delegates
took to Paris and on the basis Of IL at
taunntad IN xprito a aipniIar aopufifufinn
for the world and failed. Now con-
trast with this the British Constitu-
ton. It is not a written instrument.
Expressed 1t Is in Institutions of one
kind and another. If conditions change
statue of Parliament changes the
Constitution. 1t is in a word the sum
total of the ideas and ideals Of Eng
land concerning government and If the
ideas change or the ideals cease to
function then those ideas and ideals
ere altered or altogether abandoned.
Differences Cited
Here then is the difference between
Paris and Washington. The former
attempted to manufacture a mold into
which ihere could be poured all OF
the nations represented in that confer
ence and they would be fused into one
great international Society. The
! present conference recognized thai
racial aspirations and national creedi
I persist and that in consequence eacl
question Of indifference must be treat.
ed on its own merits and in a spiri
Of justice and good temper.
II Now this means that the bigger ant
1 more important'problem before Wash
\ ington is the far Eastern Problem