1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON
W e l l , stranger since y o u ' v e been so f r a nk
T i l r o l l aside the h a z y bank;
I left m y d a d , h i s f a r m , his p l o u g h,
Because m y calf became his cow.
I left m y d a d , ' twas wrong of course
Because m y colt became his horse.
I left m y d a d t o sow a n d reap
Because m y l a m b , became his sheep.
I d r o p p e d m y hoe, a n d s t r u c k the fork
Because m y p i g became his p o r k.
T h e g a r d e n t r u c k , t h a t I made grow,
Was h i s t o sell but mine t o hoe.
I t ' s not the smoke i n t h e atmosphere
N o r the taste of l i f e t h a t b r o u g h t me here,
Please t e l l t h e p l a t f o r m , p u l p i t a n d press,
N o fear of t o i l , nor l o v e of dress
Is d r i v i n g off t h e farmer l a d s—
I t ' s j u s t the methods of t h e i r dads.
T H E L E A G U E O F N A T I O N S .
T h e r e is a n o l d P e r s i a n p r o v e r b : " T h e dogs b a r k but the c a r a v a n moves o n ."
T h e aptness of t h i s p r o v e r b is s t i l l seen i n m o d e r n life. A n y movement t h a t is
a n s w e r i n g a great need is c e r t a i n to move o n ; and i t is j u s t as c e r t a i n to receive
c r i t i c i s m . But i n spite of the c r i t i c i s m — t h e b a r k i n g of the dogs— the caravan
w h i c h is h u m a n progress moves on. A n d so the League of N a t i o n s w h i c h was
o r g a n i z e d i n response to a w o r l d need— in spite of a l l t h e c r i t i c i sm l e v e l l e d against
i t — m o v e s o n . W i t h e v e r y m e e t i n g of the C o u n c i l , i t is b e c o m i n g more f u l l y estab­l
i s h e d a n d b e t t e r a d a p t e d for w o r l d usefulness. No one m a i n t a i n s t h a t the League
of N a t i o n s i s w i t h o u t i t s defects a n d i t s l i m i t a t i o n s . It is s t i l l i n the i n i t i a l stage;
for four years i n t h e life of a w o r l d o r g a n i z a t i o n does not t a k e it b e y o n d the i n i t i al
stage. We must expect s t i l l to see e x h i b i t i o n s of s m a l l mindedness and N a t i o n al
p r e j u d i c e ; but we l o o k f o r w a r d to seeing develop that b r o a d mindedness which
experience a n d a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of each other brings.
I n s c a n n i n g H i s t o r y we see the o u t s t a n d i n g events that act as milestones,
s h o w i n g h ow g r a d u a l l y laws have e m b o d i e d p r i n c i p l e s t h a t make for r i g h t h u m an
r e l a t i o n s h i p s . The ten c o m m a n d m e n t s of the ancient H e b r e w s were a set of rules
g o v e r n i n g i n d i v i d u a l lives. The M a g n a C h a r t s w h i c h was the f o u n d a t i o n of the
E n g l i s h C o n s t i t u t i o n was framed to prevent t y r a n n y . The K i n g must respect the
rights of the people. He too must come under the law. A n d n ow the w o r l d is
a w a k e n i n g t o the necessity for n a t i o n s to respect each others r i g h t s . Violence a nd
b l o o d s h e d i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l dealings must give w a y to reason a n d law.
T h e L e a g u e of N a t i o n s was the outcome of t h e W o r l d W a r . As t h e M a g na
C h a r t a t h a t d e m a n d e d the r e c o g n i t i o n of the r i g h t s of the people was the outcome
of sharp and severe struggle so the League of N a t i o n s , d e m a n d i n g r e c o g n i t i o n of
t h e r i g h t s of the n a t i o n s was the outcome of the W o r l d W a r . E v e r y great m o r al
a d v a n c e seems t o be the outcome of suffering; l e t t i n g i n of l i g h t seems t o be accom­p
a n i e d b y suffering. One of o u r great poets s a y s : " K n o w l e d g e b y suffering e n t e r e t h ."
T h e n a t i o n s engaged i n the t e r r i b l e w o r l d struggle felt t h a t some m a c h i n e r y must
be p u t i n f o r c e t h a t w o u l d p r e v e n t t h e r e p e t i t i o n o f s u c h a c a t a c l y s m . In t h e t r e a ty
of V e r s a i l l e s w a s i n s e r t e d a clause t h a t a general a s s o c i a t i o n of n a t i o n s must be f o r m ed
u n d e r the specific c o v e n a n t s for the purpose of safeguarding the r i g h t s of great
a n d small n a t i o n s alike. Previous to the r a t i f i c a t i o n of the t r e a t y a committee
was a p p o i n t e d w i t h P r e s i d e n t W i l s o n as C h a i r m a n . The duties of the committee
were to d r a f t - a c o n s t i t u t i o n and suggest the functions of the League. President
W i l s o n wall a l w a y s be looked u p o n as one of the great fathers of the League of
N a t i o n s , one of t h e chief promoters of a scheme t o b r i n g t h e nations of t h e w o r ld
i n t o co- operative a c t i o n i n s t e a d of c o m b a t i v e and antagonistic action. So the
C o v e n a n t of the L e a g u e of N a t i o n s h a d i t s place i n t h e t r e a t y of V e r s a i l l e s a n d the
L e a g u e of N a t i o n s came i n t o b e i n g when t h a t t r e a t y was r a t i f i e d at the F r e n ch
F o r e i g n Office i n P a r i s o n J a n u a r y 16th, 1920, w i t h fourteen nations' signatures.
W i t h i n three m o n t h s , f o r t y - t w o n a t i o n s h a d affixed t h e i r signatures, and n ow fifty-four
have affiliated. T h i s comprises more t h a n three- quarters of the area and
p o p u l a t i o n of t h e w o r l d . N o t one n a t i o n has d r o p p e d out d u r i n g t h e four years,
life of t h e League.
T h e h e a d q u a r t e r s are at G e n e v a where its c o u n c i l and assembly meet and