Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-30
JOHNSON SPEAKS
IN MINNESOTA
Talks in Morning at St. Paul; Du-
luth in Evening.
RETURNS TO WASHINGTON
California Senator Cuts His Speaking
Tour Short in Order to Lead Fight
in Senate for His Amend
n.ent.

hiram johnson announced at the con-
elusion of his speech here that he
would not complete his speaking en-
gagements in the West, but would re-
turn to Washington to lead the fight
ID the senate for the adoption of his
amendment to the League of Nations
covenant relative to the voting power
of the United States and England. He
made the decision regardless of tele-
grams from Senator Lodge and Sena-
tor Knox urging him to continue to the
coast and assuring him they would
champion his amendment.
Duluth. Mimi, Sept. 2O-As Sena-
tor Hiram Johnson's speaking cam
paign against unreserved ratification
OF the League of Nations covenant
approaches its termination, it be-
comes evident that the Californian
has definitely sounded the sentiment
OF the middle West on the subject of
ratification.
In his two addresses In Mime
sota-in the morning at st. Paul be-
fore the state legislature sitting in
joint session and at night here be-
fore an audience that packed the
local armory-the attitude of those
who heard him was positive, and ap-
parently representative of that of the
people of the, state And the MEM
bers of the Minnesota house and SEN
ate and the men and women who
made up his audience at Duluth,
again and again answered his attacks
upon the league and the peace treaty
by getting on their feet and shrek
ing appreciation of his arguments.
The senator believes that the stu
alton as he seems to have found it in
Minnesota is similar to that in every
other state he has visited. He is
convinced, he says, that the people
here are against fiat acceptance of
the covenant and against it by large
majority, although they were openly
for the league two months ago.
Change of Attitude.
'"This change of attitude" he said
here, has been brought about not by
me or by my oratory but just be-
cause the real truth about the league
is at last becoming a matter of COM
mon understanding"
A reflection Of the shift of opinion
in this state was seen during the gen.
eral assembly address. Several
months ago the Minnesota state leg
islature passed a resolution indorsing
the league and pledging support to the
presidents program for unamended
acceptance of the document. During
the speech all but several members
of the assembly jumped to their feet
upon four occasions and shouted and
stamped their feet as Mr.. Johnson
called for allegiance to his anti
league doctrine, which, he proclaimed,
as "just American"
In the morning he spoke to the rep
resentatives of the people of the state.
In the evening he addressed the people
directly. Like the morning address,
the night speech was received with in
tense enthusiasm. The armory, which
crowd estimated at 5000.
Mr.. Johnson relieved himself here
as usual, of his aversion for subjugat-
ing the United States to European and
Asiatic domination.
eve are the only solvent, going ma
tional concern" he said, land yet we
have formed partnership with bank
rupt nations. And these bankrupts, af-
Ter our late experience in meddling
and muddling in European and Asiatic
us and to despise us"
Could Compose Better League.
Several times in his speeches, he has
said he would have composed a League
of Nations covenant that would not
be an affront to America and would
represent the people of the world, rath-
err than the rulers. Along this line he
suggested that war referendum"
would be an ideal element in such a
proposed document provided that ev-
cry signatory agreed to it.
"Give the women of the world, who
bear the greatest burdens of war, OPP
portunity to decide whether they will
send their sons and husbands against
the sons and husbands of Others" he
suggested, "but this present league
does not consider the people of the
world nor the mothers and husbands
of the soldiers of the generation, nor
the next. This league goes further
from the people, rather than closer to
them; it is league of rulers, sitting
IN secret, formulating war plans in or
der to maintain their territorial grabs
and to reach out FOR further gains.''
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