Evening journal., 1919-03-05

] VIII not come back TIL It's over,
over There And yet pray God,
m the interest Of peace and Of the
world, thai that may be soon.
The first thing tha; am going
to tell the people on The other side
OF the water is that an overwhelm-
ing majority OF the American pco-
pie Is in favor OF the League of Ns-
lions. know that that is true.
have had unmistskable intimations
of Il from all parts OF the country,
and the voice rings true in every
ease
count myself fortunate 20 speak
here under the unusual circum-
stances Of this evening. ] am happy
90 associate myself with Mr.. Taft
in this cause. he has displayed an
elevation OF view aud a devotion 10
public duty which is beyond praise.
No Party Dare Oppose II.
Md am more happy because
This means that this is not a party
issue. No party has the right 90
appropriate this issue, and no party
viii in the long run dare oppose 10.
We have listened 10 30 clear and
admirable an exposition Of many OF
The main features Of the proposed
covenant Of the League Of Nations
that it is perhaps not necessary for
me 10 discuss in any particular way
The contents Of ihe document. will
seek rather 10 give you IFS setting.
do not know when 7 have been
more impressed ihan by the con
ferences OF the commission set up
by the conference Of peace 10 draw
up a covenant for The League of
Nations. The representatives %
fourteen nations sal around that
board-not young men. not men in
experienced in the affairs of their
own countries. not men ineXperi-
enccd in the politics Of the world
md the inspiring influence Of every
meeting was the concurrence Of
purpose on the part Of al those
men TO come TO an agreement and
an effective working agreement,
with regard 10 this league Of the
civilized world.
There was a conviction m the
whole impulse. there was convic-
iion Of more than one sort, there
was the conviction that this thing
ought 10 be done, and there was
also the conviction that not a man
there would venture to 90 home and
say that he had not tried TO do IT..
Mr.. Taft has set the picture for
YOU Of what a failure Of This great
purpose would mean. We have been
hearing for all these weary months
that this agony Of war has lasted
because Of The sinister purpose of
The Central Empires, aud We have
made maps Of the course thai they
meant their conquests 10 take.
Where did the lines Of that map lie.
0f that central line that we used
20 call from Bremen TO Bagdad:
VIII Watch Intrigue.
They lay through these very
regions 10 which Mr.. Taft has call
cd YOUR attention, but they lay
then through the United Empire,
through the Austro-Hungarian En-
pire, whose integrity, which Ger
many was bound TO respect as her
ally. lay in the path Of that line
Of conquest. The Turkish Empire
whose interests she professed to
make her own. lay IN the direct
path that she intended 70 tread.
And now what has happened?
The Austro- Hungarian Empire has
gone 10 pieces and the Turkish En-
pire has disappeared. and the ma
ilons that effected that great result
for it was a result Of liberation
are now responsible as the trus-
tees Of the assets Of those great
nations.
You not only would have weak
nations lying in this path. but you
would have nations IN which that
old poisonous seed Of intrigue could
he planted with the certainty that
the crop would be abundant. and
one Of the things that the League
Of Nations is intended TO watch Is
the course Of intrigue.
Intrigue canot stand publicity,
aud II the League Of Nations were
nothing but a great debating So
ciety IL would kill intrigue.
Publicly 20 Prevent Wars.
70 is one Of the agreements Of this
covenant that it is the friendly
right Of every nation a member of
ihe league TO call attention to any
thing thai il thinks Will disturb
the peace OF the world, no matter
where that thing Is occurring.
There is no subject that may
touch the peace Of the world which
Is exempt from inquiry and discus
sion, aud ! think everybody here
present will agree with me that
Germany would never have gone to
war if she had permitted the world
10 discuss the aggression upon Ser
bia for a single week.
The British Foreign 00icc sub
sested. il plead, that there might
be a day or two delay so that the
representatives Of the nations OF
Europe could get together and dis
cuss the possibilities Of a settle
ment. Germany did not dare permit
a days discussion. You know what
happened. So soon as the world
realized that an outlaw was at
large, the nations began one by one
20 draw together against her.
We know for a certainty that II
Germany had thought for a mo-
ment that Great Britain would so
in with France and with Russia she
never would have undertaken the
enterprise. And the League OF Ma
tions is meant as a notice to all
outlaw nations that not only Great
Britain but the United States and
the rest Of the world viii so in TO
stop enterprise Of that sort.
What the League l..
And go the League Of Nations is
nothing more nor less than the
covenant that the world will always
maintain the standards which u
has now vindicated by some OF the
most precious blood ever spilled.
The lberated peoples Of the Aus