The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-07
LEAGUE Of NATIONS PRAISED
AND CONDEMNED BY SPEAKERS

Canada; in the fact that we sent a
naval force to cooperate with Great
Britain in stopping the slave trade,
and in the fact that our soldiers
fought with those of other nations to
Quell the Boxer uprising. In the So
called Bryan treaties further princi-
pies are enunciated, and the Monroe
doctrine and other American doc.
trines are not excepted, Mr.. Boyd
said.
After all the sacrifice and blood.
shed, are we going back to 1914?"
Mr.. Boyd asked in closing, and said
that to not uphold the league plan
was to fail In our duty to the dead
in Flanders field.
Senator Brookhart, in speaking
against the plan, made very happy
introduction in which he told num-
Der Of good stories, and insisted that
he was like the embarrassed BRIDE
thrust upon him." He urged at tho
very start of his talk that the league
OF nations should not become a pc.
litical question. He declared that it
should not have the element of poll
tics entering into it or discussion.
He said that when we went into the
war we were told 1t was to make the
world safe for democracy. This, he
said, had not appealed to most Of the
people as the reason We went to war.
To Lick Germany.
I'VE went to war to lick Germany"
he declared, "and we have done 1t.
In fact, might say we went to war
to lick hell out Of Germany. and l
wouldn't be the least bit blasphe-
nous. because there was nothing else
in Germany but that to lick out"
He declared that he did not want
all of the blood and sacrifices of past
wars for the independence Of Ameri-
ca to be wiped out in this one cove
nant. Four years ago. Mr.. Brook
hart said, President Wilson agreed
keeping aloof and avoiding entang-
ling alliances. But when he went to
Versailles. the speaker declared, he
went to represent an ideal and not
the American people. The league Of
nations is his idea entirely.
1--WE want peace, but we want
else with it. We want JUS
tice, and without justice we cannot
have peace"
The speaker likened the league to
a contract, and said he hardly
thought any business man would
think OF giving any advice to sign
such a contract as has been pre-
sented He could not picture signing
the contract and then trying to get
it changed later. There are provi-
sions for a withdrawal OF any nation
after certain provisions Of interna-
tional law are complied with. But
do you think thirty-one other nations
who wouldn't go into this unless
America was in 1t will ever agree
that America has fulfilled all OF these
and let her withdraw"
he challenged.
The United States Is In the league
for good II she ever gets in, he said.
He objected to the fact that America
had but one vote with her large popu-
lation. Great Britain, he said, had
looked out for herself and had six
votes, counting her colonies each as
one vote.
Like Strong Man.
Senator Brookhart compared Amer
lea to the strong man who Is asked
to go to the rescue of his drowning
companions. "They are in deep wa
ter and they want us to help them
out" was his comment. But / want
to see every American boy brought
back here and left on American soil
until America herself sees some good
reason for sending them out again"
The speaker saw menace IN
American independence in the league
formation, and he attacked it in sew
eral OF its phases. One Of these was
in it's makeup. Some of the nations,
he said, were unknown to the world,
and he for one wanted to know who
his friends were before he got so
thick with them.
The president, Senator Brookhart
said, sailed for France with two very
pretty pennants at his masthead. One
of these was the freedom Of the seas;
the other was open covenants, openly
made. Before he got over there. Eng
land served notice that the freedom
of the seas was not to be considered,
and she is still mistress Of the ocean.
he said. 81 don't know what became
of the other little pennant," he con-
fessed. "If there was ever anything
open about this we'd like to know it."
The meeting last night was called
to order by Chairman Hornish, and
in the absence Of the mayor, John w.
Rovane, ST., was called to the chair.
DEAD;