The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-04-18
HUMAN NATURE
GREAT FACTOR
INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND
PAcTs REALLY OF SECOND.
AIRY IMPORTANCE.
WORLD NEEDS QUIET SLEEP
Only Lasting Cure for the Ills That
Have Ever Followed in the Wake Of
War-Action Of Congressional Ap-
preparation Committee Causes Alarm.
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK

WashingtOn.-lt seemingly can be
taken for granted that the treaties
proposed by the recent international
conference in Washington will so into
effect. Will the world, after the agree
ments formally have been sanctioned
| wherever it is necessary to sanction
them, be tile same old world?
Washington officials are like other
people, and though the endeavDr is TO
do something to keep war forever from
the doorstep, there are those OF the
officials who are saying that human
! nature still is human nature, and that
dependence must be placed upon its
restraint us MUCH us upon any treaties
looking to ''placidity, concord and
peace"
The United States is going to have
agreements, treaties, alliances, or what
ever you choose to call them. with
other great nations. and war no
longer is to be feared, ut least so
some good folk seem to think. The
people Of the United States, and the
people Of other countries, too, TOR
that matter, are willing apparently
in masses of majorities to grasp at
anything which will promise peace
and which will prevent a repetition OF
the much worse than untoward things
that happened between August l, l9l4,
| and November II, 1918.
Perhaps it ought not to be written
at a time when the hopes Of the peo-
Dle seem to be firmly fixed that peace
! is to settle down for keeps upon the
| world, but nevertheless it must be said
that there are plenty Of seasoned ones
| in Washington who believe that hu-
man nature rather than four-pOwer,
| tive-power, or even ten-pOwer pacts is
to determine affairs in the future, as
it has determined them in the past.
| These skeptics, if you so choose to call
them, say that you cannot legislate
acrimOnies out of the world affairs,
nor can you legislate today against
| the human, nature which will be the
same tomorrow and the day after to-
| morrow us: it is this day and as IL
was yesterday.
There are government officials and
members of congress Of both parties
who believe that the solving of the
! economic problems Of the world will
be Il harder task than that of solving,
or seemingly solving its war problems.
Washington recognizes the fact that
there is an instability among the peo-
ples which, comes from something
other than the economic disturbances
which naturally have grown out of the
war.
There is a restlessness everywhere,
and it. is particularly evident among
men who served in whatever army.
but it is also evident among the peo-
| ples who never saw the front line. and
| who never were found back Of the
front lines. The whole world seems
to be nervous and unable properly to
get to work. The diplomatic and leg
! |;islative doctors say that the world
needs a natural sleep. one not pro-
.duced by sedative and which will
leave no headache in it's wake.
A senator said the other day that
the world has been disturbed many
times before, but that it always has
come back to its poise. 1t reminds
one of the ancient story of the woman
who asked if it was going to rain. and
received the answer 1T always has,"
Committees Action Alarms.
Recently an appropriation commit
tee Of congress made what was SEEM
ing attempt to fix policy for the gov
crnment rather than simply to make
n recommendation for an appropriation
to carry out a policy already fixed by
the government.
1t is charged in Washington that
this act Of the appropriation commit
tee takes that body far out Of the
field of its rights, its privileges and
common sense. This charge is made
both by Democrats and by Republi-
cans, who see danger in what the COM
mittee has done.
The appropriation committee of the
house virtually said it would recon-
mend that only small amount of
money should be allowed for the army
of the United States. It can be seen
at once what this will mean If 1T shall
he carried through to its conclusion.
1t means that the government, through,
! the military committees of the house
and senate. can not fix the size of the
| army or of the navy in accordance
with thoughts on safety for our insti-
tutions, but necessarily will be COM
PEELED to keep the army forces down
within the pay limits made possible by
the sum allowed by The appropriations
committee.
Here is the way that it has been put
nv some Of the members who think
that -@:the appropriations committees
| suggested plan is dangerous and
wrong:
"If in great city a riot should hold
its sway for four or five months. but
finally after great destruction of prop
erty the rioters should say. we will
70 good would it be wisdom for the
city, simply on the word Of lifetime
agents Of destruction. instantly to cut
Its police force below the limits of
ordinary safety?"