Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1919 — The World’s Next Step [ARTICLE]

The World’s Next Step

- s ■ XaiX-r—-Wbw* la Our Duty to Ceanertton With ! th« League of Nattooat

By CL4RENCK..L. AFEED (Written for end Approy** by the - llliixA Branch of League to Enforce Piece.) *'What is my duty as an individual" in connection with the longue of Andons?" you may ask. “What have I got ti do with this big world question? Will any action os tny part have any influence on the forces that are now settling the destinies of the world?” Every citizen of the United States has a duty to perform now. in connection with the league of nations, just as urgent «s be had when we were at wan ■ You did not best t ate to do your part then just because you were only one of a hundred million and on the theory that any little saving or investing or working that you could do would have little effect toward defeating Germany, Every Individual citizen is represented in Washington by a senator. You may not know him; may never have seen him. Nevertheless he has some respect for your opinions; he wishes to win your vote once more. If he did not respect the opinions of his consTltuents he would be a queer person, lor he is sent to Washington ‘o carry out the wishes of the majority of the voters.

Now the United states senate is the body which has the power to ratify or reject treaties. The British premier has promised to submit the peace treaty to parliament for its approval, too; but he has just had an election and knows where parliament stands. When the representatives of all or ny>st of the other -nations sign the treaty of peace, that Is all that is necessary. It then becomes operative. - But America will not be at peace with Germany nor will it be a member of the league of nations until the senate has ratified the treaty. If the senate should refuse to ratify it, we would then be in the position of being at war when all the remainder of the world was at peace, and of being out side of a league of nations which embraced most of the other important countries. “Is 1t possible,” you may ask, “that the senate could fall to ratify a treaty and thus leave us out in the cold? Are we ready to stand alone in this federated world? Can we assume the role of China and build a wall of exclusiveness around us?” Looked at In that light it does not seem possible; yet when one listens to t!be speeches made daily in the senate ft does seem as though many senators are far from ready to vote for the treaty which contains a provision for a league of nations. They may believe that they are backed by the voters. It is our duty as voters to let them know whether they are carrying out our wishes or not. °

In this series of articles there has been no attempt to present an argutnent that the constitution of the league of nations as it stands is a perfect document There very likely is room for many improvements. If there were not, it would be an exception to every other constitution ever adopted. Conditions may arise a decade or century from now of which we can have no conception at this time, any more than the framers of the American Constitution could have foreseen the developments of today. But there can be no doubt that the world, as a whole, now disapproves of war and denies the necessity for war, and that the league of nations as now proposed is a sincere effort to do away With the danger of war. There is every reason to believe that it stands more than a fair chance of succeeding, while it is so drawn as to present few if any perils that we have not always had with us if it fails to succeed. The constitution of the league does not prevent the United States from doing anything it wants to do, for the reason that the United States has no designs on the property of its neighbors. It does not impose any new burdens upon us comparable with the war debt which has just been heaped on us through no fault or desire of our own. The league may call upon the United States to do its part in governing some of the portions of the globe until they are ready to govern themselves. This may entail some expense; some trouble, possibly some small loss of American lives, as in the case of the Philippines, but nothing in comparison to the losses.in men and money sustained in our participation in what was for us only the fag end of a great world war.

Every man must do his duty in his own community, if he expects good government- If he believes in the league of nations, it is his duty now to let his representatives in the senate , know it. If he does not. it likewise is his duty to make bis beliefs known. The plain people, the world over, are letting it be known that they are against international Most of them believe that the league of naHnn*ln now the one way to prevent It. If you so believe, you are not doing your duty, unless you let your senator know that you want the treaty ratified. Illinois senators are Medill McCormick, 111 West Washington street, Chicago, HL. and Lawrence Y. Sherman, Springfield. 111. Communications may be sent them at these addresses. Further Information regarding the league of nations, including pamphlets, may be obtained at the office of the ililnota state branch of the/League to Enforoo Peaoe, 342 Monadnock block, Chicago HL

fc.ei T.awii An —f ChahnerS banged the offerings of the local .high school slab artists at that place Friday afternoon, piling up ten runs while four of the Red and Black reached the terminal.