The sun., 1919-03-05
TAFT is MORE SPECIFIC
Metropolitan Opera House
Thronged by Crowd Eager
to Be Shown Light.
BOSTON SPEECH AGAIN
Some Saw q Threat as Well as
Promise in Executives
Attitude.

The President and the only living
ex-President spoke for the League Of
Nations in the Metropolitan Opera
House last night before an audience
greater than Caruso draws. The
former, a Democrat, and the latter, a
Republication purposes Of classi-
fication-found themselves in COM
plete, even congratulatory and COM
plimentary agreement that woe will
! descend upon the world II the Senate
Of the United States fails to ratify
the British-Wilson League of Nations
plan.
Mr.. Taft endeavored to he specific,
to give information, in his address
lasting three-quarters of an hour. Mr..
Wilson, standing possibly in the ex-
act spot where he stood some months
ago when he promised that Russia
would not be deserted, gracefully but
very noticeably avoided specific ar
guments and precise explanations. Al
though he talked rather more than
half an hour he added nothing what
ever to the knowledge that had
existed as to what the British Wilson
plan means or implies for this coun-
try.
The audience. which completely
filled every nook and Granny of the
great temple Of opera at Broadway
and Fortieth street, waited with such
intentness as was fairly electric for
the President to get down to cases.;
, to answer questions that agitate
mems minds all over the country.
Big Questions Unanswered.
They waited for an answer to the
question as to whether the league
would override vital points of the
sovereignty of the United States.
From Mr.. Wilson no answer whatever
was forthcoming. They waited TO
hear him say whether the Monroe
Doctrine would be abroGated or weak
ened-or what would happen to It,
They got no answer. They waited to
hear If the league would actually pre-
vent war. They went away no wiser
than they came. They waited to hear
if American troops would be COM
PEELED to fight the battles of Europe
or Asia or Africa. Mr.. Wilson sue
Cee,led in keeping the secret.
From the time that he announced
his intention not to come back "unth
It's over over there" until some Celt
of unquenchable curiosity piped the
query "Mr. President, what is going
TO happen to Ireland?' there was not
one item of substantial explanation
added to what he has already stated
or permitted his spokesmen to state.
The disappointment of the audience
was very real. 1t could not be sat
sfied with Mr.. Taft's specifications,
since the accredited spokesman for
the league was himself upon the plat
form. But no information came.
The President virtually repeated
the speech he made one week ago
yesterday when he landed in Boston
and addressed 1000 persons as eager
for information ms were his hearers
of last night. Through his Soaring
address, delivered as always, in beau
tifully modulated tones and with the
deftest selection Of words ran two
principal ideas: That the League OF
Nations is n grand and beautiful con-
cept guaranteed TO cure the ills of
world; and that Governments that
fail to support the league may come
to Il bad end.
Promise and Threat.
The address, like tho Boston offer
ing. was ut once a rosy promise and
an ominous threat. As for the latter,
its menace sounded constantly, like
the intnnations of n kCttlerlrum
Both speakers referred indirectly to
tho action taken by the Republican
Senators on Monday night when,
through Mr.. Lodge Of Massachusetts,
they offered a resolution signed by
thirty-scvcn declaring against the
british Wilson plan. Mr. Wilson ex-
pressed anna cement" that there should
he in some quarters such Comprehen-
sivc ignorance Of the state OF the worId
saving these gentlemen do not know
what the mind Of men H. Just now"
lie wondered "whorc they had been
,losctcd." and adding that he did not
know 'hy what influences they have
been blinded Hvcrrod that certainls
"they have been separated from IN"
general currents Of mGnhiud,"
NJ, Taft ,uu- much moro SnarlfG