South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-21
PEACE LEAGUE
IDEA ATTACKED
EX-Sen. Albert ]. Beverldge
Says u. S. Must Avoid
Foreign Alliances.

] Pleading for a solidarity of the ma
ton, Albert ]. Beverage last night
addressed over 500 people at the
regular monthly dinner of the Knife
and Fork club at the oliver hotel.
/ Beverage maintained that the
] United States must at all costs avoid
foreign alliances or a membership
in a league 10 enforce peace as pro-
posed. He held that no good can
come of America becoming identified
with either, and asserted that the
salvation Of the nation lay in a re-
affirmation of the policy laid down
| by Washington. friendship for all,
| alliance with none"
The audience which heard Bever-
idge last night was one of the larg-
est that has been gathered in the
| oliver hotel in a long time. Six
| hundred tickets were sold for the
] dinner which was also graced by the
presence of many of the fairer sex.
| The banquet proper was served in
| the main dining room. the Turkish
/ room, pink room and the parlOrs on
the south balcony. When the speak
/ ing began the tables were removed
/ from the main room and all guests
! brought together.
Hawaiians Entertain.
Bishop John Hazen White OF st.
! James Episcopal church acted as
| POSTMASTER. He introduced first the
I Hawaiian singers who rendered vo-
/ cal and instrumental music during
| the banquet. Wallace Bruce Ans
/ barry of Chicago then delighted the
| throng with stories and rhyme of
/ Kipling, Drummond and several
poems of his own in French dia-
/ lect.
Beveridge then spoke on Amer
| lean Naturalization vs.. Foreign AL
| liances."
"A tremendous task faces Ameri-
ca" he said. 1T is the building of
a unified nation. 1t is the com
pounding OF the many radical
groups into a combination of peo-
pie that is essentially American. 1t
means the formation of a blood
unity If cOnsummated il will mark
an epoch in the worlds history
without parallel. 1t will practically
mean the formation of a new race
and of such magnitude as To be YER
| lily of divine significance.
But this great work cannot be
consummated or even attempted If
we contemplate foreign alliances or
attaching ourselves TO world
league TO enforce peace The ma
ton must work alone. And one Of
the finest looms upon which We can
weave this solidarity of nation is
on universal military training. Uni
versal military training will bring
! together every individual national
| ity in America, and once the indi-
vidual units meet on "A common
ground. enjoy the same pleasures,
suffer the same hardships and strive
for the same goal, bond of friend
ship and brotherhood will be weld
ed and a unity of understanding at
tanned that will stand for all time
aud against all adversaries."
Argues Against Alliances.
Developing his argument against
foreign alliances Beveridge stated
government, our choosing of states
men and their tenure Of office
should prove the foremost barrier
for this reason: Our choosing of
congressman and senators is local.
while that of a foreign nation like
Great Britain is national. Further
more. ne said. the tenure of office
OF our statesmen is comparatively
much shorter than that of Britain.
Consequently. the British statesman
! becomes an adapt in his line and
above all he never breaks with his
colleagues on international ques-
tons. always unified. Therefore. i'm
case OF an alliance American states
men would be forced TO face an ar
ray of men of years of training
which might not be we'll in case vi
tai questions were at issue between
the two nations.
Beveridge cited an alliance with
England because such an amalgama-
ton has in the majority of instances
been suggested. 1t is held, he said,
that by such an alliance the British
fleet could insure the safety of
America.
Wants Great Navy.
But We do not want that" cried
the speaker. America should
strive TO make the American navy
the greatest on the seas
Arguing against a league to en-
force peace. he stated that il would
necessitate a change in our consti-
tuition taking from congress the
power to declare war. For in a
league as proposed all nations would
have a voice in a war declaration if
one were needed against any one OF
! the league.
Again, with the United States
holding geographically the imperial
position on the globe. she would
ever be the object OF envy OF all
other nations and would in all prob
ability suffer in negotiations.
Summing up. Beveridge held that
league 10 enforce peace would be