The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-27

ARE DIVIDED
Express Various Opinions
| on Presidents Speech
I at Boston
ONLY GENERALITIES
WERE EXPRESSED
Some Believe More Specific Description
of League of Nations Should Follow
ALI Want War Brought to an End
Speeches Coming.

dents speech in Boston. Administration
Democrats declared the speech sounded
the sentiment of America Others insist
ed that the president had failed to make
a convincing argument in support of the
League of Nations
Senator Owen, Democrat of Oklahoma,
who recently returned from Europe,
while expressing approyal,in the main,
Eof the Presidents speech, declared some
changes would be necessary in the pro.
posed constitution of the League.
Chairman Hitchcock of the Foreign Re-
latiens Committee will discuss the
League Thursday. Senator Lodge, the
Republican leader, will speak Friday.
Senators Knox of Pennsylvania, Repub
lican, and Hardwick of Georgia, Demo
crat, will speak Saturday
Senator Hitchcock, Democrat, Nebras-
ka Chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee, said: The Presidents
speech was very effective. | believe it
will appeal to the spirit OF Americanism
] think that all America will be i'm
pressed with what President Wilson says
as to the obligation of the United States
to save the critical situation in Europe.
! The president rightly says that we must
not fail Europe at this time. 1t NAV be
that the president made a rather strange
use of the word dream in speaking OF
the spirit of our soldiers in France. They
| went III, it seems To me, more in spirit
fof frenzy. But the presidents speech,
/ as a whole, appeals strongly to the Amer
lean instinct
| Senator Borah. Republican, Idaho.
1member of the Foreign Relations com
imittee: 1T is very evident that the
President, in his Boston address, felt
the Importance at this junction of speak
ing in general terms, and for that reason
| do not think comment should be adj
vanced by me on the substance OF his adj
dress, but withheld until such time as
We shall have before AS the executive
definition of the concrete problem with
which we are To deal"
Senator Penrose Republican. Pennsyl-
vania The Presidents speech did not
convey to my mind any definite informa-
ton of the scope and character OF the
League of Nations. 1t dealt in general
ties, which, of course, appealed to every
humane person. Before being able TO
express an opinion of the issues involved,
4 believe it well to await a fuller expla
nation from the president 1t is sutfi-
) cient to say that / believe in any inter
national agreement which would tend to
prevent war, but / am utterly opposed
to any agreement to barter away the
sovereignty of the United States.
, Senator Lewis, Illinois, the Democratic
whip: My Judgment is that the presi-
dent deliberately and as the result OF
mature reflection determined TO present
only general principles and basic ideals
having details of what happened at the
Peace Conference and explanations as Il
how certain conclusions We're reached
1 for the address he will make 10 con
gress, if he should make one. or fol
D some other expression, which the coun
try will expect before he departs. Hi.
speech at Boston was to impress upor
the nation the general principles t,
which we should aspire. rather than tn,
details of the agreement and arrange
ments."
Senator Pomerene, Democrat. Ohio
What could be better conceived o
spoken that the presidents address a
Boston? Every American who reads i
can understand it He is right in hi
position that something must be done t
-
Senator New, Republican, Indiana: 8
don't see that the presidents speech vii
change single vote in tha Senate"
Senator Vardaman, Democrat. Missis
sippi: 1T was a singular thing tina
the president spoke of our America
soldiers fighting as in a dream |
was more a nightmare than dream
They had to be conscriptad to go Every
one in the country knows that our me
\ fought because the coIntry's flag wa
fired upon by German submarine Gu
rights upon the high seas We're cha
\ lenged. There was no dream about it a
\ ALL And now we undertake to contrt
4 and regulate the world. After we hav
fought and won the. war / think it is til
wish and will of the American peepl
that we bring our boys home and civ
up this idea Of trying to regulate til
whole of Europe"
Representative Martin B. Madden, r.
publican, Illinois, said: The speech wa
mere assertion and beautiful
worded appeal to the sympathies of ii
4 American public. 1t seems to me tina
portions of it were in bad taste, esp,
eially that part where he said that II
nations of Europe would not trust IL
armies of any country except that I
the United States
Representative Kelley, Republiea
Michigan, said: The American peop
and believe the people of every eountr
in the world are eager that war be en-,
ed. The Presidents address was direc
l ed wholly toward IL INSTABILITY
some international arrail~ aent to pr
vent war. In that undoubtedly he hi
expressed the aspirations OF n he pc
I pie. The president has not yet T. sents
any plan Of the sort that must Il raj
fed hy the senate. When he does
should be carefully scrutinized, artic
by article. in order that all OF our trad