New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-02-25
WHY BORAH REFUSES
WILSON INVITATION
Challenges League CT Nations Pro-
gram and Fears BOlSheylSm

Applying his curt refusal to at
tend the dinner to be given at the
White House to the foreign affairs
committees of congress, Senator
B6rah of Idaho writing in Current
Opinion for March, emphasizes the
dangers he sees in the proposed
league of nations constitution which
President Wilson expects to have rati-
fed and sharply defines the issue
he takes with the league to enforce
peace idea and its sponsors. by
transferring" he says, the power of
the United States government to
make war or peace to some superState
or tribunal not responsible to our
people and to them alone, you take
its most vital powers out of our hands
and put them beyond our reach and
control. When you give some trib-
unal which we cannot elect power to
take our sons and put them in Rus
STA or Asia. you finally arrive at the
ultimate goal TO which the disciples
OF Lenine and Trotzky would lead
MS, thereby destroying our sovereign
independence and taking away the
governing capacity of the people
tt is immaterial whether this is done
in one way or another: it is the Ill
innate result that I look at and re-
ject now and forever" His recent
statement made in the senate to the
effect that BolsheviSm was not to be
confined by national lines and that
it constituted q threat to this cOun-
try is vigorously defended by Senator
Borah who, however, sees danger in
eXaggerating the symptoms and in
frightening their dangerous aspect,
sion, but also by unduly endeaEoring
to effect q cure by treating symptoms
rather than administering to the seat
of the disease
Amy attempt he writes, 'to effect
changes, even though needed and de-
manded, by violent or summary
method is foolish because it is un-
necessary. In this country it would
be q mistaken, a false method. Thus
the best way to combat it is by eX-
posing it's falsitY. What we need in
this country is the fostering and
STRENGTHENING of the national spirit,
a rebaptism of national pride, Il re-
conservation to the purposes for
which our government was formed.
Preach the doctrines of the fathers
for a while and see how the Ameri-
can people like them. Let us take
care of our own institutions and
strengthen them in the minds and
hearts of the American people. Work
out more just and humane laws, eff
fectuate a more equitable distribu-
lion of our prosperity, and fill with
greater national interest our whole
social life. Tell our people anew
how they are distinguished from all
the peoples of the nations Of the
earth and impress upon them the
facts as to the liberty, prosperity, in
dependence, initiative, we enjoy in
measure superintendent as compared
with all other peoples and nations.
When we do that we will plant in
the minds and hearts of the Ameri-
can people, again and anew, spirit
which Bolshevism cannot uproot.
Senator Borah calls attention to the
fact that BOlsheVism, or what makes
for BolSheVism, can come from the
mansion as we'll rs the street. ''It
is no new thing" he declares. cts
mamie only is new. 1t has had and
still has other names, some of which
conceal in SNUG Responsibility the
end which would be produced did the
insidious propaganda put forth pre-
vail. One of those names is interna-
tionalism, to which 7 am opposed, as
am to the more apparent BoIshev
ism. whether it is clothed in broad
cloth or rags, whether it comes in the
form of Soviet government or that
of a superstate based on force. It
all means the same thing so far as
this governm ent is concerned. Those
men and women who meet and praise
the Soviets may he hammering away
with pickax and dynamite at one pill
lar of the republic while other men
ard women in more powerful places
may be hamm eTlng away at other pill
lars of the republic. One would de-
stroy it by demobilizing it's moral
forcea, the other by sterilizing the
national spirit.
1--WE have always had moro or less
social unrest and it might be un-
fortunate if it were to cease entirely
for such unrest gives aid in safe
guarding our liberties. Every indica-
ton of social unrest is not neces-
sarily a symptom of Bolshevism
into Bolshevism many who are not
Solshevists by misinterpreting and
labelling and endeavoring to treat
them as SUCH
Senator Borah anticipates his
promised address to the senate by de
7ning his opposition to the proposed
league to enforce peace, as contrast
ed to the proposed league of nations.
the powers of which, he writes can
not he anticipated.