Evening star., 1923-04-29
ny THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President OF the
United states.

|N HETHER 1t was Woodrow
|NN/ Wilson or Lord Bryce or
|: v Jan smutz or Lord Robert
L Cecil who, during tho war
period, revived. by redreaming the
dream Of all good men since Christ.
the ancient idea Of the settlement of
International disputes by arbitration
rather than by force. is not q matter
Of very great moment The first ut
serance upon the subject will doubt
aess be established through historic
Investigation. And when discovered
and designated. the real pioneer in this
modern movement will be found not
10 have added much to the efficacy of
the Golden Rule. Regardless of
whether he was the author or no, be
1T said Of Lord Robert Cecil that the
league OF nations has had no more
ardent advocate than he. Be ii also
said that Lord Robert possessed the
:rare good sense not to come to Amer
:ica and endeavor to impress his
:invited to do so by American organ
citations which are interested in the
=league Of nations. He became. there
by. an honored guest. entitled to
courteous treatment and most re-
spectful consideration
What our visitor said about the
league naturally provoked friendly
discussion. This probably was one
Of the objects Of his coming among
us. We may. therefore. analyzs his
arguments. even challenge some OF his
statements II We wish. without giving
offense TO him or placing ourselves in
opposition to the great league which
he 80 eloquently and convincingly de-
Tended.
To me the league always has been
and is yet the ono good thing in sight
to achieve what all Of US longngly
hope for. However. its perfection
into the ideal organization that we
would have it may require an out
look somewhat different from tthat Of
several of those who are sitting in its
council. 1t would be foolish to deny
that the league Is doing great good
It's fine work in restraining the un-
ruly children in the family Of nations
and preventing them from scratching
each others faces and pulling out
each others hair is enough to COM
mend it to all right-thinking men
and to make them thankful for its
existence. But question arises wheth-
er the parent nations are governing
themselves by rules similar to those
they are laying down for the chill
dren nations. In this connection il
may be we'll to remember that almost
As many children have been driven
from the Calvinistic fold by the. hy-
pocrisy OF their parents as have been
kept in loyal obedience to the ancient
faith
The nations that exercise influence
In the council Of the league must sub
nit themselves TO the same laws
obedience Welded to their DEGREES
will ne sullen acquiescenca rather
than cheerful compliance. Then will
grow up inevitably among the small
but ambitious nations Of the world
an idea that the league Is a super
government rather than an associa-
tion OF peoples in which personal
interests have nothing to do with the
determination OF questions at hand.
am led to make these observa-
tions. not because I have even slight
est criticism Of anything that Lord
Cecil said in his addresses. but by
reason Of his answers TO certain in
quiries put to him.
He stated. for instance. that he
voted in the British parliament
against a proposal to submit the Ruhr
question to the league for settlement.
although he believed that the ques-
tion was one that should be submitted
to the league. His reason for his vote
In opposition to his opinion was, he
explained, that the question as it
arose in the parliament was purely
political. / hope I am mistaken. but
to me this attitude OF mind implies
danger to tho league. II legislator
Is to vote against his own convic-
tions on purely political grounds.
manifestly his action will weaken the
influence OF the league. I have been
an onlooker in politics so long and
their personal convictions because Of