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Show and again, for enforcement. In fact, it would not be at all incon- without paying a cent for the privilege, or, more strictly, sistent if they display in the matter of enforcement some of the - m unity.. Our. city commissioners are placid persons who do m to cruise in troubled waters. They love to lie becalmed on zeal and activity that marked their gyrations as advocates of uniof public, indifference. Not for the world would they sink the versal aridity. Vi The city commissioners might take action. Their well-knothe ous oar into tranquil 'deep and"$tir ,up anxiety for themselv inclination toward virtue should impel them to close the retail We beg to suggest, however, that the commissioners saloons. If the city were, obtaining $1,000 from each saloon as a police authorities bestir themselves to extinguish the saloons license there might be .some shadow of excuse for the neglect to. suppress the alcohol peddlers. We cannot afford to let the r enforce the law. Once the authorities thought that practice so acdamnation simply to afford an everlasting liolida; ceptable that they licensed more than a hundred saloons. Now we people go to iV.fi have prohibition and our city commissioners permit saloons to run our apathetic commissioners.' - wn : SCHEME TO LURE U S. INTO LEAGUh AND APPLY MUZZLE If the eloquence of Rene Viviani can persuade us the United States will join the League of Nations. Foremost among the orators of France, his tongue tipped with poetic fire, he will employ his genius and the arts of the pleader to obtain American sanction of so much of the covenant as will create a super-nationpower to control the world. At first he will ask all that he hopes to, obtain. Later, should he find the president still resolute in his determination to stay out, he will attempt to strike the best bargain he can for al he super-governme- nt. France is just as much interested as Great Britain in securing our adhension to the league. Not that France has such a vast empire to maintain, but she inust depend for the enforcement of the treaty reparations upon her ally. Her interests, both as an imperialistic nation and as the chief beneficiary of the treaty of. Versailles, are identical with the interests of Great Britain. These are the chief exponents of imperialism and next to them come Italy and Japan, their allies. They are standing together for world control, sometimes through the league, but principally through the council of premiers which acts to obtain ends which, if submitted to the council of the league, could not be approved. The very constitution of the league offered to the five great powers Great Britain, France, Japan, Italy and the United States the power to rule the world. America, so to speak, was led up into a high mountain and shown all the empires of the world and told that if'she would but acknowledge the league as the master of the world she would be permitted to share in the control. It was a magnificent gesture to conceal the most ridiculous false pretense. All the empires had been distributed among our war associates by annexation or according to the specifications of President Wilsons singular system of mandates. Out of the war we obtained nothing not even the Island of Yap which the president thought he had contracted for by a gentlemans agreement. Sharing in control, therefore, amounted simply to this the United States was to supply the money and men to support the imperialism of her associates and was to obtain in return the honor of remaining their associate. We are justified in assuming that the result of the election in the United States has dispelled the last hope of the allies cherished of obtaining American armed support, but we must not feel too sure. A subtle propaganda is in progress to convince us that unless we join the league the world will sink into economic chaos. And, no doubt, there will be renewed appeals to American idealism and much talk of liberty and humanity, irridescent buncombe about the noble motives of our associates and their plans to do the best for mankind that can be done. The system of world control by the great powers will be pictured as the best possible system yet devised to bring the greatest good to the greatest number. It is the eager hope of the allies to get the United States into the league by compromise. If they can but achieve that result they will have attained their main purpose the assent of the United States of the world. If we neglect to inquire what to the this means wc shall have occasion to curse our folly. super-governme- nt the league preserves its present structure, so loJti the great powers can dictate to the world, can prepare a progrj $ So long as of world-wid- e control and enforce it, the United States, as design-keeof the league, will. be. associated in a I weak nations and subject peoples in chains. We should try to visualize our position as a member of. league even with the pledge of ' Article X nullified and even military obligations of other articles eliminated. What are we to give to the league as a member, we mustj;; ourselv What is it that the imperialistic nations are hopirjjot obtain from us in lieu of naval and military support? First oip it must be remarked that they still hope for that support. If isixu? can but lure us into the league they can count on armed supportin' super-governme- nt ; They argue that the United States could cav(s with honor, refuse armed support to them in case their league be threatened by another combination of powers. jo p But what they hope to obtain from the United States, in kespe military aid, is something almost as valuable? a compelling crisis. It is silence. faul The allies believe that once the United States is in the le it will be compelled by its position to maintain silence so long as faul ther league operates within the range of its powers. Of course, the allies want us to give our word that we will 'mit spect the territorial integrity of the member nations, and oncti have given our word we cannot speak out in favor of vanqukur peoples. The mere etiquette of nations is construed nowaday-ppreventing the United States, even without a league, from gratjtop recognition to republics fighting against tyranny. Our timid pc, v tilio was exemplified the other day when an ancient was abandoned for fear of giving offense to Great Britain. It 1 been the custom to assign regular army contingents to an parade in Boston held on St. Patricks day to celebrate the cxpul;ra of the British from our shores. This year the regulars were permitted to participate because it was feared that Great Bri might be offended. If international amenities dictate such a. meticulous regardthe feelings of Great Britain, how utterly incapacitated tlie States would be by its pledged word as a member of the league protest against any of the tyrannies of our imperialistic allies wide world around! The power of this subtle constraint was notably illustrate few weeks ago and is being borne in upon us every day. The new administration at Washington had planned to b At , congress pass a resolution declaring the United States and Germ-- vtha to be at peace. This was to be followed by the graceful withdra-yor of our military, forces from the occupied regions of Germany. ne fore the new administration had begun to function the allies mvai the unoccupied portions of Germany and created a .war crisis. tb put us in the. position of being once more associated with against the common enemy. There was nothing to do but accept the situation. The resolution for immediate peace was set aside. The adinioistrat w c . p ; |