The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-12
CALLS LEAGUE Of
NATIONS DEFORNED
! EXPERIMENT ONLY
Senator Lodge Attacks World
Pact Saying He Could Not
Accept Plan as "An Ameri-
Can"-PointS to Dangers.


WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.-Descrlbing
the league Of nations as a "deformed
experiment upon a noble purpose Sem
ator Lodge, Of Massachusetts,, chairman
OF the foreign relations committee and
republican leader Of the seante, de-
clared in a senate speech today that
there were, features Of the league cove
nant which "as an American" he could
never accept
Creating, not a league Of peace but
an alliance embracing many provisions
for war the covenant in its present
FORM. he asserted, would kill the Mon
roe. doctrine, nullify any possibility of
withdrawal from membership; impair
the sovereign power of deciding domes-
tlc questions and plunge the United
states into every controversy and con-
flict on the face OF the globe"
Let US beware" he said how we
palter with our independence. We
forced our way upward from the days
OF the revolution, through world often
hostile and always Indifferent We owe
no debt to anyone except to France in
our revolution, and those policies and
those rights on which our power has
been founded should never be lessened
or Weakened.
Il am as anxious as any human be-
ing can be to have the United States
render every possible service to the
civilization ana the peace OF mankind,
but l am certain we can do 1t best by
not putting ourselves in. leading strings
or subjecting our policies and our SOW
ereignty to other nations.
can never be anything else but
4n American, and must think Of the
United States first, and when / think
OF the United States first In an arrange
ment like this / am thinking Of what
y best for the world, for II the United
states fails the best hopes OF mankind
fail with 1t. I have never had but one
auegiance--I can not divide 1t now.
Power Destroyed?
"The United States 10 the worlds best
hope, but II you fetter her In the in
terests and quarrels of other nations;
II you tangle her in the intrigues of
Europe, you will destroy her power for
good and endanger her very existence.
We are told that we shah hseak the
heart OF the world II we do not take his
league Just as it stands. fear that the
hearts Of the vast majority Of mankind
would beat on strongly and steadily and
without any quickening II the league
were to perish altogether. II 1t should
be effectively and beneficently changed
the people who would lie awake In sor-
row for a single night could be, easily
gathered in one not very large room,
but those who would draw a long breath
OF relief would reach TO millions.
ideals have been thrust upon US as
Ill dTkuIUCnL IcT Ln6 lSAkUe unIlt .lflB
healthy mind which rejects cant, revolts
from them. Are ideals confined to this
defprmed experiment. upon a. noble pAarr
pose tainted A8 Ii IN w TN bagGngns ard
Y ~ v nAacA III An which might have
Ss,, Sss, SisRossd II ,s q lS lSn Il 1. rs MI rs
xcss1psiIsd @ carry fhis sllsrSoh is
Ne dohbt many excellent ana pa
trtotic people see 9 coming fnlfililnent
OF noble ideals in the words league for
peace. We all respect and share these
see no hope, but rather defeat, for them
In this murky covenant.
80 far as the question Of isolation
goes. 1t is impossible to isolate the
United States, but there is a wide diff
4. ferences Between taking a suitable part
and bearing a due responsibility in
world affairs and plunging the United
States into every controversy and con-
flict on the face Of the globe"
Sees Big Danger.
Likening the league to the ill-famed
holy alliance, Mr.. Lodge quoted the COW
enant provision giving the assembly au-
thority to deal at its meeting with any
matter 80 affecting the peace Of the
world" and continued:
"There is no such sweeping or far
reaching provision as that in the treaty
from that treaty the holy alliance, which
for 35 years was an unmitigated curse
to the world.
ENGLAND broke from the holy al
lance because English statesmen saw
that 1t was intended to turn the aili-
ance--and this league Is an alli-
ance--into means Of represslng inter-
nal revolutions or. insurrections.
"No revolutionary movement, no in
ternal conflict of any magnitude can
fail to affect the peace Of the world.
Amy matter affecting the peace of the
world is very broad statement which
could be made to justify almost any
Interference on the part Of the league
> with the internal affairs of other coun-
tries
I'm article 10 the United States is
bound, op the appeal Of any member
Of the league, not only to respect but
10 preserve its independence and its
boundaries and that pledge, II we give
1t, must be fulfilled. There Is to me no
distinction whatever in a treaty between
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