The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-14
BAKER DISCUSSES LEAGUE

The opinion of the Honorable New
ton D. Baker as to the Importance of
our participation in international af-
fairs finds ready approval through
out the South. One sentence of Mr..
Bakers strikes at the very roots of
the whole matter: ct is unreasonable
to expect that nation as rich and
powerful as the United States may
hope to isolate herself from all the
rest of the world politically when she
is so closely bound commercially"
What is government primarily? 1t
il the function of protecting life and
property. Under this head come also
all the business and commercial rela-
tionships of citizens. Formerly, when
the nations chief activities were of
domestic nature, the nations chief
concern was the protection of the
legitimate activities within its bor-
ders. But when a nation becomes
commercial and when its citizens have
tremendous investment in goods be-
You'd their country's jurisdiction, then
it becomes necessary for their gov
eminent to enter into international
covenants for the mutual protection
of it's nationals.
That is the situation in which the
government of the United States finds
itself today. This has become an ex-
porting, a commercial nation. Our
prosperity henceforth must largely de-
pend upon markets abroad. The more
we sell in foreign parts the more
credit we must extend, and the more
thoroughly will we need the man.
tie of those close international al
liances that insure the maximum of
protection for honorable transactions.
Other nations find themselves at a
great disadvantage because of the
plight of their credit, and the depres-
sion of their industries This is sit
uation which is now reacting unfa-
vorably upon our own commerce, for
il means an extensive curtailment of
our market for our surplus goods. BY
associating ourselves with other ma
lions and by gradually helping them
back to plane of confidence and
production we shall be benefiting our
selves far more than them.
Mr.. Baker approves of the presi-
dents proposal to participate in the
world court, and views the plan as a
logical first step towards league men,
bership. Indeed, the former secretary
goes so far as to say: 81 believe
both parties will be in favor of the
United States joining the league, in
which case there will be no partisan
political opposition over this issue"
Although this view is hard to recon-
cile with the attitude of the irrecon-
cilables, yet all will coincide with Mr..
Bakers statement that "the world
court is in accord with the political
party platforms of both major politi-
cal parties" In fact, the League Of
Nations is not inconsistent, except in
name and authorship, with the Re-
publican proposal of an association of
nations to promote peace.
Mr.. Bakers position is remarkably
like that of other leading Democrats
in that their confidence and espousal
of the league, in defense of which
they went down to temporary political
defeat, have not weakened, but rather
intensified, as the years roll by. Their
fidelity to principle and program
has won others to the same view, un-
til the very league, which two years
ego was considered an impossibility,
today looms up as the overshadowing
national issue. The Republicans can