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Show CITIZEN callously indifferent to thE pleas from all quarters of the globe. He proceeded in a leisurely fashion to fdrriiriiate his fcbvfeiiant, insisting that it must be a part of the treaty. When renioristirrited with by United States senators he called them savage names and said that he would so intertwine the coverirint arid the treaty that they 6o'uld riot be disentangled. That, too, was coercioH. tt Was also delay, arid yet he has the hardihood to insist that the Seriate shrill avoid all delay by accepting the treaty without changes. The defenders of the President contend, however, that he was right when he said that no permanent relief could be expected until peace conditions were restored. Even if we concede that point it would not justify the United States Senate in passing the treaty without proper safeguards. The American people were in a somewhat similar situation in two other wars. In the war of the revolution they were told by Great Britain to accept taxation without representation. Rather than drink the taxed tea they threw it into Boston harbor i A few years later the colonial army passed a terrible winter at Valley Forge while the British feasted and reveled in Philadelphia; The. army and the civilians held out until France came to their aid, although some were themSo weak as to surrender and some like Benedict Arnold-sol- d selves to the enemy. In the war of 1812 Great Britain asked lis to admit her right to search our ships on the high seas ririd ithprfess our sailors into her service. When we went to war her superior navy blockaded our coasts, annihilated our trade and forced conditions of distress upon the American people much mbre onerous thrin any they are enduring today. We were fighting then for the same prihciples which the United States Senate is trying to uphold today In the face Of the Presidents surrender at Versailles. Out Senators do riot think that the Koreans arid the Chinese should be subjected to a slavery worse than that which threateried the Anifericrin colonies siriiply because the conquered afpeople belong to races which have riot figured importantly in the fairs of westerri civilization. The Chinese and Koreans are as much entitled to their liberty as were the Ariiericrih colonists. It may be takeri .for granted that the Uriitfed States Senatd will not be intimidritfed into accepting the treaty without reservations arid we are far wrong iri our estimates Of the Atriericari people if they permit high prices or even the pirich of huriger td drive them irito a treaty which surrenders the liberties of the human rrice. i . pacifism and ANARCHY the jury at Mount Clemens would have awarded more than six cents if they had believed that the Chicago Tribunes editorial had damaged his reputation. They returned a verdict in his favor because The Tribune had called him an anarchist and had failed to substantiate the charge. Despite his eccentric viewpoints, his extreme pacifism, and his visionary idealism Henry Ford intended ali the time to be a good American. When war is in progress we are compelled to judge a man by his acts, but in the piping times of peace we are more indulgent OBVIOUSLY and consider his motives. Had The Tribunes lawyer been a philosopher he might have traced a very close resemblance between pacifism and anarchy. Both anarchy and pacifism work for the destruction of government. A pacifist, if he is logical and carries his theory to its ultimate He can no more tolerate conclusion, must believe in a police force than an army. He would oppose war again criminals as he would oppose war against an alien aggressor, for an alien aggressor is only another kind of criminal. The gunman who seeks to rob the individual makes war as truly as does the kaiser who seeks to rob Belgium and France. Against one is pitted the police force, against the other, the army. Pacifism, therefore, is anarchic in the sense that it tends to the overthrow of government. And in a sense it tends to overthrow government by force, because in its it permits force to be used against the government. We had experience, of that during the non-resistan- ce. non-resistan- war. Our pacifists would not fight and tried to preverit others from fightirig the 'enemy. They would have permitted Germany to overrun this country ririd tVbuld have solaced themselves with the thought that they were dbeyirig a higher law thrin the law of Not all pacifists, it is tnie Would have gone to that extreme, but they wbiild hrive beeft illogical had they stopped short 6f it. Henry tbrd is an exariiple of the pacifist who does riot abide by his own teachings. When the war catne he did all he could to aid the government, blit tie could ribt help hiotirning at his downfall and even classed himself with the military rhurdErlers, whorii he had so ofteri denounced. Hie was logical eriotigh to see that he was not a consistent exponent of pacifism. Had he beeii more logical he would have been sdriiethirig very like an anarchist. self-pteservriti- on. K a ARTICLE X UNNECESSARY V--- Article X of the League of Nations covenant means what dent Wilson says it means, it should be stricken out as valueless; The article provides that the members of the league undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territory and existing political independence of all members of the league. The second sentence of the article provides that the council shall advise upon the means by which the obligation is to be fulfilled. n In his message to Congress on the alliance the President interpreted the second sentence to mean that each league member is free to do what it thinks best after the league council has arrived at its decision. In other words, each member shall use its own discretion about complying with the councils direction as to the means necessary to preserve the territory of any other member of the league. In truth thE article means, that we undertake to send our troops to fight in any part of the world to preserve the territory of member nations. If it means that it is dangerous ; if it does not triean that it Presi-- '' IF Franco-America- is useless:. Would it not be best to elihiinate the article altogether? If each nation may use its discretion about preserving the territory of any other member it is unnecessary to try to define such a vague engagement in an article of the covenant. Onc thE league is Established and the members are bound together by 6tHer rind strong engagements to preserve peace, liberty and justice each natibri will Have a general guide of action which will govern its tohduct: The good of the league and the rittaiririients of its jiist objects Will constrain the nations to take whritever measures are right ririd riecEssriry; Article X is like a specific contract to gamble and to pay a gambling debt. Hbnorable nations should riot be bound in such a mariner. Honorable nations will recognize their duties more clearly arid will fulfill thern iri' better spirit if they are guided by the general purposfes 6f the league arid the principles of international justice rather than bound by ri coriipact which may involve them in flagrant injustice. The spirit of thE league is better thaii its letter. The covenant is riot, or should not be, an offensive and defensive Its purpose is peace. Even if it is so constituted as to be a league to enforce peace the ends of peace and of justice. will be served better by the obligation of common purpose than by an article which will alwatys be a grinding shackle. t. . There is a big movement on to teach aliens ' English, but what they need to be taught is American. Half a League onward President. . is better than no league at all, Mr. The German war brides seem to like being held by the enemy. i a . The packers invite investigation and lock up the books; ce, . v - The whole shoe business is a skin game. - -- |
