Show WHY APE THE TIlE AUTOCRATS The Senators opposed to a League of Nations may not know It but they I Iare are talking as the German militarists talked at the Peace Conferences atthe at atThe The rhe Hague In 1899 and 1907 At the first of these n assemblages I twenty-six twenty states were represented and at the thc second more than forty Although there was agreement upon ionic ome things as to the i conduct of oC war I Ithe the he principal objects In ht view which were verc disarmament and arbitration of International disputes failed of ac- ac arr- arr because at every ery stage of nf the proceedings the German deleat delegates delegates dele dele- deleI I gates at s supported In hr tho o from Aus Aus- ni ria ria 11 ga rv refu serl their r assent The fhe Cen Ceu ral Powers did not discuss 1 the tho matter maUer but they let It be known that covenants of oC that sort would Impair Im in- pair their sovereignty endanger their liberty and expose them to attack and that th they y violated the tho Constitutions Constitutions Constitutions and ami laws of their empires They regarded the proposal 38 as premature and visionary and absolutely Impracticable Impracticable le In fn such a n world as this While men are men and nations are nations natIon said one me of the German delegates it Is useless to dream of everlasting peace peace Thus Thus I the mIlItary military mili mill tary party of or Germany used the very language which those who who assail assan the League of or Nations now employ All AU this was preliminary to the most most terrible of wars German mediaeval mediaeval- Ism isra blind as to the destination to which Its of strife was leading Is now In defeat giving attention attention attention at at- to the visions that It then refused refused re re- fused to heed b but t American uninstructed by the awful tragedy of 18 1914 stands today intellectually In Intellectually In- In and intI morally precisely precise precIse- ly where th the professional proCessional wa war mak malc ers of ot Berlin stood when they balked balked humanity and progress on two notable notable notable nota nota- ble occasions The men who obstructed obstructed obstruct d progress at The Hague rei re represented resented a ruling class with which war vas was a habit and anda a business The men at Washington who are arc following their their example assume as assume assume as- as sume to speak for a people devoted to pea peace e most of whom believe belleve that tha with reason and justice once enthroned enthroned enthroned en en- en- en wars may be l. 1 1 Senators Senators Senators Sen Sen- Lodge Knox Burti Reed Heed and have had a great deal to say sayar of their sympathy sym sym- m pathy path with the the Idea that a t ed hIed world should not be bo given war r perI- perI to slaughter but hilt pike ike th these se other powerful expounders of the Constitution and heroic defenders der of American liberty Senators Vardaman Vardaman Varda Varda- man Hardwick and LaFollette tte they con see nothing but disaster in a covenant designed to put an end to th the e evil It is generally agreed that there will be no League of Nations without the concurrence of the United States Just as In 1899 and 1907 there could t tho j bo ho no disarmament and arbitration l with Germany and Hungary Austria-Hungary holding aloof Making every allowance allowance allow allow- allow 1 I ance for the mischief that t-at party rancor rancor ran ran- ran 1 cor car personal Jealousy and egregious egotism may do is it t possible that there will ever be enough Imitation Prussians in the United States Senate Senate Senate Sen Sen- ate to reject at Washington the measures measures meas meas- ures that a n predatory autocracy wickedly defeated at The H Hague and antI for the same reasons |