Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-12
SENATOR LODGE SCORES
FEATURES OF LEAGUE
Points Out Certain Articles in "Deformed Ex.
pertinent Upon a Noble Purpose" Which
as American He Cannot Accept.

Describing the league of nations as
reformed experiment upon noble
purpose" Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts. chairman of the foreign re-
lations committee and republican
leader of the Senate. declared in a
Senate speech today that there were
features of the league covenant which
"as an American" he never could ac-
cept.
Creating not a league of peace, but
an alliance embracing many "provi-
sions for war;" the covenant in its
present form, he asserted, would kill
the Monroe doctrine, nullify any pos
sibility of withdrawal from member
ship. impair the sovereign power OF
deciding domestic questions and
plunge the United States into every
controversy and conflict on the face
of the globe.
Let us beware" he said, how we
palter with our independence. We
have not reached the great position
from which we were able to come
down into the field of battle and help
being guided by others. Our vast
power has all been built up and gath
cred together by ourselves alone.
I'VE forced our way upward from
the Gays OIL Tic TSNOlQtAOh, iii OA6h q
world often hostile and always indif-
ferent. We owe no debt to any one,
except to France IN our revolution.
and those policies and those rights, on
which our power has been founded,
should never be lessened or weakened.
1t will be no service to the world to
do so, and it will be Of intolerable in
jury to the United States. We will do
our share. We are ready and anxious
to help in all ways to preserve the
worlds peace. But we can do 1t best
by not Gripping ourselves.
Favors World Service.
81 am as anxious as any human be-
ing can be to have the United States
render every possible service to the
civilization and the peace of mankind.
not putting ourselves in leading
strings or subjecting our policies and
our sovereignty to other nations. I
will go as far as any one in world
service, but the first step toward serv-
ice is the maintenance Of the United
States. You may call me selfish. If
you will, conservative or reactionary,
but an American I was born, an
American have remained all my life.
Il can never be anything else but an
American, and I must think Of the
United States first, and when I think
of the United States first in an ar
rangement like this am thinking of
what is best for the world, for IL the
United States fails the best hopes of
mankind fail with it I have never
had but one allegiance can not di-
vide it now.
THE United States il the worlds
best hope, but If you fetter her in the
interests and Quarrels Of other ma
tions, II you tangle her in the in-a
trfgues of Europe, you will destroy
her power for good and endanger her
very existence.
I'VE are told that We shall 1brea1Ea
the heart Of the world If we do not
take this league just as it stands. II
fear that the hearts Of the vast ma
jority of mankind, would beat on
strongly and steadily and without any
quicker II the league were to
perish altogether. If 1t should be ef,
fectively and beneficently changed
the people who would lie awake I'm
sorrow for a single night could easi-
ly be gathered in one not very large
room, but those who would draw q
long breath of relief would reach
to millions.
ideals have been thrust upon us a.
an argument for the league until the
healthy mind which rejects can't re-
volts from them. Are ideals confined
to this deformed experiment upon q
noble purpose, tainted as it is with