Palisadian., 1923-06-29
STRANGE BEHAVIOR OF A DEAD
LEAGUE.

MT. Harding assertion DIT ol. LOUIS
! that "the League is as dead as slay-
! cry" must have aroused widespread
doubts not only as to the truth of the
statement, but as to the aptness of the
comparison. Memory, going back to
the stirring days Of the battle over
slavery, does not recall that the death
metaphor was much employed by the
opponents of negro servitude. On the
contrary it was the defenders of the
peculiar institution who were always
declaring that slavery was dead is
sue. They hailed every compromise
and patchwork settlement in the long
struggle before the Civil War as mark
ing the death" Of the opposition to
slavery. And it was from the other
side that the challenge came. 1t came
in the form of an assertion of an 'irre-
pressible conflict" that must be set
tied definitely and completely one way
or the other.
The President did not have to wait
very long for evidence that he has
such an irrepressible conflict on his
hands. 1t was nonpartisan associa-
tion that sent telegram yesterday to
Mr.. Harding reciting an impressive
body of evidence to show that the
League is far from dead in the minds
and hearts Of millions of Americans.
The first signature to that telegram
was that of former Republican attor-
ney general. The name of Mr.. Wicker
sham recalls the names of thirty other
Republican friends Of the League who
have recently been in the public eye
and who have gone on record as repu-
dating their ardent League faith of
| three years ago. Unless Charles E.
regarded as Republican deadwood, un-
less Hiram Johnson and John T. Ad-
ans are to be regarded as the life of
the Republican party, the League is
not dead. And this leaves out of con-
sideration several million American
citizens not embraced within the con-
fines of the Republican party. 1t
leaves out of consideration Demo-
cratic party which has been showing
very impressive signs of strength. 1t
leaves out of consideration that part
of the American people which has
been speaking through the churches,
the colleges, the women's associations
and the chambers of commerce-all to
the effect that the League of Nations
idea is very much alive.
The League as an ideal is alive in
this country. The League as a fact is
alive on the other side of the Atlantic.
1t lives and functions and breeds none
OF the evils which it's enemies have
advertised by anticipation, and it
works concrete good. Only the other
day Beveridge of Indiana raised his
voice against League that is sure to
stifie the aspirations OF small nation.
alities, quite forgetful of the new ma
ton of Ireland, upon which somehow
the League of Nations did not Law a
strangling hand. On the constructive
side we have what is almost the mar
vel OF Austria. apparently condemned
TO death by the Treaty of Versailles
and brought back to life and health by
the League of Nations. Only yester
day the successful results of Eng
lands threatened protests to the
League on French misrule in the Saar
were recorded in the press. Mr.. Hard
ing chose very bad time, indeed, to
perform the obsequies of the League.
alive as an ideal and alive as a fact.
the League will not succumb to the
ardent prayers of it's would-be under
takers. A corpse concerning who's
permanent status so many repeated re-
assurances are necessary will impress
itself upon the imagination of the
American people as a doubtful corpse
after all. The more frequently the
League issue is proclaimed dead the
stronger will be the impression that
in the League we are confronted with
an irresistible conflict. - New York
Evening Post.