n this country,
Mawruss, it _oser_ would make any difference to us whether Germany keeps
the treaty or she don't keep it, Mawruss, the chances of us sending our
boys back again is pretty slim."

"But under section ten of the League Covenant, Abe," Morris began, "the
time might come when we would got to send them."

"Maybe," Abe admitted, "but if any of them European nations has got the
idea that because Germany is going to be slow pay we would oblige with a
few million troops, Mawruss, they've got another idea coming. We are a
nation, not a collection agency, and no amount of section tens is going
to make us one, either."

"Well, that is the danger of this here League of Nations, Abe," Morris
said, "and if the Senate ratifies it, we are not only a collection
agency, but a burglar insurance company as well, and in fact some of the
Senators goes so far as to say that we ain't so much insuring people
against the operations of burglars as insuring burglars against the
loss of their _ganevas_."

"I know the Senators is saying that, and I also know that Mr. Wilson
says it ain't so," Abe agreed, "but this here fuss about international
affairs has got what the lawyers calls a statue of limitations running
against it right now, and I give both Mr. Wilson and the Senate six
months, and they will be going round saying: 'Do you remember when six
months ago we got so terrible worked up over that--now--National
League,' and somebody who is sitting near them will ask, for the sake of
having things just right, 'You mean that League of Nations, ain't it?'
and Mr. Wilson will say: 'League of Nations! National League! What's the
difference? Let's have another round of Old Dr. Turner's Favorite
Asparagus Tonic and forget about it.'"

"So you think that all this international politics will be forgotten as
quickly as that?" Morris commented.

"Say!" Abe said, "it won't take long for Mr. Wilson to settle down into
American ways again. Of course it will be pretty hard for him during the
first few weeks, whenever he gets a sick headache, to send out for a
doctor instead of an admiral, and he may miss his evening _schmooes_
with Clemenceau, Lord George, and Orlando, but any one that will have
such a lot of _clav hasholom_ times to talk over as Mr. Wilson will for
the rest of his life, even if he does have to hold out some of the stuff
for his History of the Peace Conference in three volumes, price
twenty-five dollars, Mawruss, would never