Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-27
Chapter XXXVIII

After his return from Paris he, in
conversation with me, commented
as follows on Article XXI of the COW
enant of the League of Nations:
THAT article is the favorite article
in the treaty so far as I am con-
cerned. 1t says that every matter
which is likely to affect the peace
Of the world is everybody's business;
that it shall be the friendly right
Of any nation to cAll attention of
the league to anything that isD like
ly to affect the peace of the world
or the good understanding between
nations, upon which the peace of
the world depends, whether that
matter Immediately concerns the ma
ton drawing attention to it or not.
In other words, at present we have
to mind our own business, under the
rules Of diplomacy and established
custom. Under the covenant of the
League of Nations we can mind
other peoples business, and any
thing that affects the peace of the
world, whether we are parties to it
or not, can by our delegates be
brought to the attention of man
kind. We can force a nation on the
other side of the globe to bring to
that bar of mankind any wrong
that is afoot in that part of the
world which is likely to affect the
good understanding between nations,
and we can oblige them to show
cause why it should not be remedied.
There is not an oppressed people in
the world which cannot henceforth
get hearing at that forum, and
you know what a hearing will mean
| if the cause of those people is just.
The one thing that those doing in
| justice have most reason to dread
| is publicity and discussion. At pres.
ent what is the state of international
law and understanding? No nation
has the right to cali attention to
anything that does not directly af-
feet it's own affairs. If it does, it
cannot only be told to mind it's own
business, but it risks the cordial re-
Iationship between itself and the ma
ton whose affairs it draws under
discussion; whereas, under Article
XII, which I had the honor Of adj
vocating, the very sensible provi-
sion is made that the peace of the
| world transcends all the suscepti-
bilities of nations and governments,
and that they are obliged to consent
to discuss and explain anything
which does affect the good under
standing between nations.
British Authors Views
Sir Frederick Pollock, in his valu-
able work on the League of Nations,
comments pointedly on this privi-
lege:
Various Irish writer's, including
some who deserve serious atte~ lion,
have raised the question whether
| the standing problem of Irish auton-
omy can come before the League of
Nations. There is only one way in
which this could happen-namely,
| that the government of the United
| States should declare Irish-American
sympathy with unsatisfied national
| list claims in Ireland to be capable OF
| disturbing good understanding be-
! tween Great Britain and the United
| States. That, is a possible event if
| a solution is not reached within a
reasonable time, but it is more like
| ly that confidential intimation
| from the United States would not
| only precede a formal reference to
the council, but avoid the necessity
for it,
The friends of Ireland in this
country have often asked me the
question: Would Woodrow Wilson
have INTERVIEWED in behalf Of Ire
| land?
can ans yer this question only by
saying that Ireland has never had a
| truer friend that Woodrow Wilson.
| From the day that we went to war
| it has been his steadfast purpose
| to induce the government of Eng
land to settle the Irish question just
ly and permanently. His statesman
like approach to a settlement of the
problem is the only one that holds
| hope of success.
AS I completed this chapter. an
article appeared in a Washington
newspaper apparently conf1rmatory
of the presidents foresight, showing
| that by September, 1921, Mr.. De Val
| era had arrived at the same view.
| The article seems to show Mr.. De-
Valera as insisting that the British
| government grant Ireland member
ship in the League of Nations as one
| of the guarantees of autonomy.
AS for myself, believe that Ire
land is going to be free in company
| with the rest of the world and in ac-
| cordance with a new world order
| which shall function through the
machinery for justice and liberty
| which is provided for in the coven-
| ant of the League of Nations, and is
| provided for nowhere else.