After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson proposed the League of Nations as a part of his Fourteen Points plan for an equitable peace in Europe. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, this "government of governments" was meant to be an international peacekeeping organization that attempted to resolve international disputes.
The President believed the League of Nations would be an effective organization and began a tour across the United States to promote America’s membership, traveling over 8,000 miles in twenty-two days.
Wilson stated, “I cannot see how it can fail to have the support of all the forward-looking Christian people.” He tried to convince the American people that the League would work.
The President was wrong.
Despite Wilson's efforts, the people of the United States rejected his proposal. The U.S. Senate found that after its formation in 1920, the League of Nations proved to be inefficient, and elected not to join. Considered to be weak and powerless, the League stopped operations in 1939.
We must do our own homework to determine if our efforts will be successful. The wisdom we gain will allow us to work effectively towards the things we believe in. Establishing a one-world government was not the answer to lasting peace then, and it isn't today. From the past, we learn that empowering individuals through Constitutional principles will make the world a better place.
Woodrow Wilson signed statement dated June 17, 1920 from the Mercury One historical collection. Photo courtesy of Mercury One.
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Republished with permission from MercuryOne.org.