The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-07
BORAH WARNS PACT
WOULD FORCE WARS
Wreckers Of Europe to Take
in America as Minority Part
ner in World Strife.
RECALLS PRUSSIANISM
Cites Holy Alliances Acts and
Wilson's Endorsement Of
Washington's Policy.

washington fOllcy.
Senator Borah delivered the following
I address at the dinner OF the Society of
Arts and Sciences last night:
MIR. ToAsTMAsTER, LADIES AND GEN
TLEMEN-The city of New York boasts.
and properly. of having the great busi-
ness minds OF the country centred here.
and l am going to take. by way of
preface to my remarks, an Illustration
based upon that conceded fact. I shall
assume that there are in the audience
tonight business men who have been
successful in their affairs and have built
3 up great business institutions, institu-
lions which have reputation and char
acter In the business world and call for
and hold confidence throughout the coun-
try.
Some morning New York paper
carries the news that there has been a
failure of some business concern of large
proportions In your city. some great
trust company has gone TO the wall. some
immense banking institution has failed
and the interests OF hundreds of thou
sands of depositors are imperilled. I'm
mediately after the news Is spread over
the city there is gathering In one
OF the business houses of the city, and
some one or more Of these successful
business men are called in and asked
to take charge of this bankrupt BUSH
ness concern in order to put 1t again
upon a business basis, to reorganize It
| and to save, in SO far as possible, the
creditors
These men, however. who have given
! their lives to their own business concerns
and built up great institutions Of char.
acter and standing reply In response to
the request that We feel that our time
i Is all required for our own business az
fairs But the response comes that you
must do this IL for no other reason as
. an act of humanity. OF human Justice.
You must lend your genius and your
character and your standing and your
ability to a cause which is calculated to
serve hundreds and thousands Of people I;
and therefore we request you. not for
anything that you will gain in the way
of material wealth or of material benefit.
but as an act OF humanity and for the
purpose OF restoring order throughout the
business community, to take hold OF this
concern
Free Hand Needed for Supreme
Task.
And at last the prayer prevails. and
I these business men say: We will look in
upon the concern and see its condition.
They find that the decentralization has
I taken place by reason OF speculation. of
quarrelling, OF greed and Of dishonesty
and a few other things which sometimes
characterize business concerns. And they
say, II we are to take hold of this mat
, ter we must have free hand. 1t is a
supreme task. and unless We can dictate
J.
| and prescribe the method and the system
! we will content ourselves with attending
to our own business and let this take
/ care OF itself
Very we'll, that seems n fair PROPOSE
! ton: you shall have a free hand. We
would not expect you to take hold of II
and leave the same men In charge OF
the board OF directors or the executive
council. But Immediately those who
have wrecked the business reply We
are still. nominally al least. the own
ers of this business. and We propose TO
control a majority of the board OF di-
rectors we propose to control a ma
! iority of the executive council, and
while we are asking you to contribute
your time and your ability. your char
acter and your standing. to get behind
this matter, nevertheless we will out
linc the plan and the system. and there
fore we propose to make no compromise
which viii release us or cause us 70
. separate from our business. No business
man in his right mind would for n mo-
ment take hold of that kind Of an insti-
tuition unless he had absolute control OF
| ,he situation
"Now. what is the position with ref
erence TO the League OF Nations? Our
distinguished and honored President has
told us that we are entering into this
league for no material benefit to our
| selves. Certainly not He has said
! that We owe this debt 10 humanity; that
we must go In and restore demoralized
Europe. Very we'll. 1t is of itself a
stUpe ndous task.
| "tfnder the very best conceivable pro-
rramme and with the most borough
/ control of the situation IL would be in
/ deed stupendous task for the Anert-
can people to undertake TO erase the ra-
! cial bitterness and to restore calm and
! reason where passion has prevailed for
three centuries. Nevertheless our tax
/ payers and our business men. and our
! fnanciers, and the young men of this
country furnishing the man power are
/ asked to go into Europe and perform
J that great task-undor whose system,
Who remains in control of the pro-
gramme? Those who have wrecked Eu.
rope for the last 200 years have alb.
solute control OF the League of Nations
from the hour II Is Initiated.
Question of Voting Control.
'If the United States IL going to en-.
| ter upon this task. do you think it Is fair
| to give the United States no gyeater vot.
! ing power In the crS-yat. oody than
! Siam? Do you think it is a reasonable
task TO impose upon the United States
! when 1t has no greater voting power In