Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-09-14
With Other Editors
VARYING VIEWS

We find, through the dispatches,
wide variance in the views of two
eminent statesmen as to the actual
worth of the League of Nations in re-
storing peace to the world and func-
tioning as the perpetual peace-maker
among nations.
Here is our own James M. Cox,
who was the democratic candidate for
the presidency at the last election,
and whose venture in nationwide
politics did not prove that he had the
full confidence of the people. Mr..
Cox recently went abroad with the
avowed purpose of investigating the
work of the League Of Nations with
view of making participation in
the league political issue in this
country at the next presidential cleo
ton.
While qualifying his statements
somewhat by saying that the United
| OIoteS must NC IeStoIeu W eCollOIllC
prosperity before it enters the
league, Mr.. Cox goes on to say, ac-
cording to the published reports:
''The league needs no defenders. The
United States will become a member
of it, of course. That is as certain as
the coming of day. We will come in,
not only as matter of duty and
service, but of self interest as well.
We will enter with a well-formed and
understanding public opinion and
then the league will cease to be a po-
litical issue"
There is a cocksureness about all
this that is perfectly refreshing. Our
whole course in the matter is entirely
laid out and all that we will have to
do is to walk therein. Of course,
there has been something of sus-
Ipicion that the League of Nations
idea, so far as it applies to this coun-
try, was laid out, cold and dead, at
the last presidential election and that
Mr.. Cox was chief anon gthe mourn
ers. 1t would have been we'll if he
had gone on and explained just how
he is going sufficiently to resuscitate
the corpse as to make it living is
sue at the next or any subsequent
lnreSidpntia1 elec+ion
Now, Lord Robert Cecil of Great
Britain, representative in the
League of Nations, does not seem tc
think that the league does not neeC
defenders, nor does he believe that
the lague is functioning according tc
its original plans.
In a significant address delivered
before the assembled League of Ma.
tons few days ago, Lord Robert
Cecil demanded that the League Of
Nations make an effort to deal with
the Austrian and Near East crises
and generally to assume a more i'm.
Iportant role in world affairs. He
said that tn eleague was bothering
too much with details instead Of
tackling the vital questions which
threaten the peace of the world.
81 doubt" said Lord Cecil, "wheth
err; the league is carrying out its full
role. The league has right to take
up any question threatening the
peace of the world. Every member
has the right to bring such question.
before the league, but this is not be-
ing done"
In view of the Greek debacle il
Smyrna and the consequent threat
against the peace of Europe, if moi
the world, it would appear that the
League of Nations has had an oppor.
tunity to test out its ability to recon.
cile differences and prevent war, but
as Lord Cecil said, this is not being
done.
AS between Lord Robert Cecil, the
eminent British statesman, and
James NJ. Cox( more or less an emf
nent American statesman. we think