LAD #32: Kellog-Briand Pact

          The Kellog-Biand Pact is also known as the Paris Peace Pact. A blunder in world diplomacy, the treaty was signed by a surprising 62 countries.The pact made it illegal to use war as an instrument of national policy, but it was permitted in cases of self defense. This has some obvious shortcommings. First, an aggressive country in search of land and resources could easily claim their actions as examples of self defense. Furthermore, a nation planning on goint to war obviously doesnt care whether or not it is illegal. Overall the main reason for the treaty was a US attempt to avoid entering the league of nations in a period of isolationism. The treaty, although interestingly still standing, can largely be considered a failure considering he outbreak of World War Two just years later.

LAD #31: Wilson's 14 Points

          After the fighting of the great war, leaders and delegates from many of the nations involved met in Versailles, France in November of 1918 to negotiate the terms of peace that would bring the war to a close and restore stability in Europe. However, the goals of Wilson and other nations of the allied powers differed greatly; most European nations wanted to punish Germany for being the primary aggressor in the war, demanding large reparations as well as the demilitarization of Germany. Wilson, though, having studied the civil war and reconstruction serving to be somewhat of a failure, did not seek to punish Germany, but proposed a plan of 14 points that would help to prevent another world war:
1- No more Secret Alliances
2-Freedom of the Seas
3-No economic Barriers
4-Reduction of Arms
5-Self-Government in Colonies
6-Evacuation of Russian Territory
7-Evacuation and restoration of Belgium
8-Evacuation and restoration of French territories
9-Readjustment of Italy's Borders
10-Austria-Hungary accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development
11-Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated and restored
12-The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty
13-Polish Independence

The fourteenth and final point was the only one to be realized. This was the creation of a league of nations in an attempt to avoid more European wars.
 

LAD #30: Schenck v. US

          Schenck v. United States was a supreme court case during world war one which upheld the espionage act of 1917. An important phrase resulting from the case was "Clear and Present Danger." Schenck was a socialist who was distributing pamphlets ridiculing the draft, stating it violated the thirteenth amendment. he was arrested and tried under the Espionage act of 1917, but appealed to the United States Supreme Court claiming that his rights to free speech had been violated. The court upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage act and Schenck was jailed for six months. It was stated that in times of war, it is sometimes necessary to restrict certain rights. Also, by criticizing the draft he was creating "clear and present danger" among other US citizens, much like yelling fire in a crowded theatre.   

LAD #29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

          Big business, although helping the nation prosper in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, came with a host of problems. Workers in cities suffered grueling conditions, long hours and little pay. These problems were amplified for youths, and throughout this period child labor remained an issue. The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act attempted to reform many of the hardships and tragedies faced by the young workforce, and restricted child labor to open up more jobs for men. The act in a way indirectly limited child labor. It prohibited the sale of goods produced in factories by children under 14 years old, and mines operated by children under 16 years of age. In addition it also prevented children under 16 from working more than 8 hours a day, or at night.

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inaugural

          Wilson's victory in 1912 was largely a result of the split of republican votes between Taft and Theodore Roosevelt running for the Bull-Moose Party. Wilson was the most progressive of the three, and his first inaugural address went as follows:
           Wilson first addresses the now complete control of the legislature and executive branch of the Democrats. He suggests this is not just a success for a party, but a success for the nation, as now there would be limited disagreement between the branches of government, and change would be easier. he states that he is proud of the nations industrialization, and it is a good thing  and makes the nation prosperous. However, with good inevitably comes bad. industry has turned sour in some cases and has taken a toll on the people. This must be reformed. we must not forget our morals, and so, the bad must be changed, however,, this must be done in a way that does not inhibit the good. Wilson promises new economic policies to help the public as well as increased attention and conservation of natural resources, and improved health standards, particularly in the food industry. He promises reform, not failure.

LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

          With the advent of big business in the late nineteenth century came big corruption. Throughout the end of the 1800s, the government's Laizzes Faire attitude towards business, and the weak leadership of the forgotten presidents led to widespread trusts and monopolies, controlling the markets and taking advantage of workers and consumers. In some cases it even seemed that the government was in favor of business rather than the workers. Although legislations such as the Sherman Anti-Trust act and the ICC were passed, they were not enforced, and were even sometimes used against the workers. It took the strong leadership of the Trust-busting "Teddy" Roosevelt to finally come down on big business and begin to regulate trusts and monopolies. A breakthrough came in 1914 with the passing of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act. The act, like Sherman's was meant to break up monopolies and trusts. The act stated that no corporation could own the stock of another, and fixing prices on goods and transportation was illegal. The key difference, however, between the Clayton and Sherman acts was that the Clayton Act could not be used against workers.