South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-09

respect any time. Very we'll. That
principle lies at the heart Of the
treaty There are people in Europe
who never before could say that the
land they lived on was their own
and that the choice they would make
Of their lives was their own choice.
Cites Case OF Poland.
know there are men. in Nebraska
who came from that country of ira
gical history the now restored re-
public of Poland, and 1 want TO call
10 your attention the fact that Po-
land is here given her complete re-
stitution, and not only is she given
the land that formerly belonged to
the Poles, but she is given the lands
which were occupied by the Poles
and now occupied by them, and had
been permitted to remain under 9TH
er sovereigns and she is given that
land under n principle that all our
hearts approx of. You take what
in Europe thsy call High Silesia, the
upper portion Of the district OF Sile-
STA. The very great majority of the
people in High Silesia are Poles, and
the Germans contested the state
ment that most of them were Poles.
We said
Very well then, il is none of our
business and we will let them de-
eide il. We will put sufficient armed
forces into High Silesia to see that
.okol.. tor,Nore ,,,;fh fbe nrorass 81
the election, and they VIII hold - re-
ferendum there, and those people
can belong either to Germany or
Poland. as they prefer, and not as
we prefer.
And wherever there was a doubt
full district. we applied the same
principle-that the people should
decide and not the men sitting
around the peace table at Paris.
So that. when these referenda are
completed the land titles of Europe
will be settled and every country
will belong to the people that live on
II, TO do with it what they please.
big Four
Now. you seldom hear of this as
pect OF this treaty. You have heard
4 the couVcil that the newspaper
men call the big four" We have
a very much bigger name for II than
that. We call ourselves the supreme
council of the principal allied and
associated powers. But we have no
official title and sometimes there are
five OF us instead of four. But those
represented with the exception OF
Germany, were the great fighting ma
tions of the world. They could
have done anything with this treaty
that they chose TO do because they
had the power to do what they wish
ed. and they chose to do what had
never been chosen before-to re-
nounce every right of sovereignty in
that settlement to which the people
concerned did not consent.
Workmcn's Charter.
That is the great settlement which
is represented in this volume, and Il
contains other things a great char
I ter OF liberty for the workingmen o.
the world.
For the first time in the history Of
/ councils of mankind. they are to b'
drawn together and concerted fol
| the purpose OF defending the right:
and improving the conditions of the
working people and the women anC
/ children all over the world. Sucf
a thing as that was never dreamed
/ OF before.
And what you are asked - dis
/ cuss I'm discussing the league OF ma
lions is the method of seeing tina
/ this thing is not interfered with
And there Is no other way excep
by universal league of nations, anC
what is proposed here is a universe
league OF nations.
Only two nations are. for the tim
being. left out. One OF them is Ger
! many. because we did not think tina
Germany was ready 10 come in; be
I cause we felt that she ought to e
through a period of preparation; be
cause she says that she had made
mistake and we now want her [
prove IT by not trying il again.
She says that she has abolishe
all the old forms OF government b
! which little secret councils of me
sitting. nobody knew exactly wher'
could determine the various fortune
OF that great nation. and incidental
5 try TO determine the fortunes c
men. and we want her 10 prove tina
her situation is so changed and tina
is going TO stay changed, and the
how can we say No TO a grea
: people sixty millions strong. II the
= want 10 come in on eqnual term
! international affairs"