Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-21
BECkHAM Defends
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Senator From Kentucky Says
Common Sense OF People Tell
Them 1t Is Worth Trying

al ~ 40 vvVA - A~@0
Washington, July 2i-The first
advocacy Of the Peace Treaty and
the League of Nations covenant
from a Kentuckian in Congress
was delivered in the Senate cham
Der today by Senator ]. {. w.
Beckham. Senator Beckham de-
livered mastery argument, and
he opened the eyes of many when
he quoted Roosevelt as advocat-
ing a league of nations as is now
proposed, in his speech accepting
the Nobel peace prize at Christi
ana, Norway, in 1910, at which
time Roosevelt said: -.
It would be mastery stroke II
those great powers bent on peace would
form q league of peace. not only 9 10
to prevent, by force If necessary, its
being broken by others. The supreme
difficulty in connection with developing
from the lack of any executive power.
of any police power, to enforce the de-
crees of the courts.
Again in a letter from Roose-
Welt to the New York Times, Oc-
tober l8, 1914, he expressed his
views on the subject:
The only permanent move for obtain
ing peace which has yet been suggest
ed, with any reasonable chance of OBJ
tanning its object. Is by an agreement
among the great powers, in which each
should pledge itself not only to abide
by the decision of the common tribunal.
but to back with force the decision of
that common tribunal The great civ
ilized nations of the world which do
possess force. actual or Immediately
potential. should combine by solemn
agreement in great world league for
the peace of righteousness
Senator Beckham ridiculed the
idea that the United States can
ever again be isolated from the
rest of the world as opponents. OF
the league seem to desire. He
pointed out that really at no time
since it's foundation, has this ma
tion ever been isolated.
In the splendid common sense
of the people of the United States
is to be found an answer to the
arguments that critics of the Lea
que make against it, Beckham de-
clared. He said in part:
"It is their unfailing common sense
which set naught the adroit and
eloquent arguments of the opponents
of the league. That common sense
teaches them to ask these questions
of the opponents: "Let us admit
that there is some force in your criti-
cism of various section of the league,
do you not think it is, on the whole,
worth trying? All other methods
have failed in the past to keep the
peace of the world. Triple alliances,
entente cordiales, balances of power
have all failed and broken down, and
is it not well for us to try another
plan, one which comes to us with the
Endorsement Of the leading statesmen
of all the nations who took part in the
peace conference at Paris? Your
arguments are plausible. We share
that spirit of Americanism which per-
vades them, but where do they lead
: us? You propose no other remedy.
Your criticism is destructive and not
constructive. Without this league
Of nations what have we as a pro-
lection against (, future wars? If
your position is correct and the league
should be abandoned, then you would
put us back to the statu quo ante
bellum. That would be intolerable,
and we would never agree to such a
determination. We would infinitely
rather take this league as it is, ad-
mitting the imperfections which you
describe, than to go back to the inter-
national chaos that made possible the
horrible tragedy which bereaved the
whole world, sent to. slaughter near
ly 100000 of the strong and brave
young men of the world, and left in
its wake train Of sorrow and desola-
tiOn never before equaled in all his
tory"
That, Mr.. President, seems. to me
to be the way in which the great COM
mon people of the country are look
ing at this question. They have seen
with remarkable quickness and precis-
ion that flaw In the argument of the
, opposition which suggests no >substi-
offers no remedy to protect us in any
way WHdtSNSI lIOIl CIle ulueOuS HiOIi-
ster of war. They are not deluded
with the hope that this league will
be an absolutely certain and sure pre-
ventive of future wars. They realize
that no instrument of this kind can
be at once framed and promulgated
without imperfections or defects; but
they do believe that it is infinitely
better than any plan hitherto follow
ed by the nations Of the earth, and
that it does offer the best hope that
we can find to secure peace in the fu-
ture. f8
They are willing to try it, Mr..
President. The great majority of
our people, beyond any doubt in my
mind, favor it's trial. Their fears
have not been excited to any great de-
gree by the gloomy pictures in the
arguments of the opponents of the
league: They are unwilling to be-
lieve that in article 10, or in some of
the other sections which have been
SO severely inveighed against, there
are hidden instruments of mischief
that may at some time in the future
be used to. our great injury and loss
VbQv have raad thof ,,n,, al, a l<.,..,.-1