The sun., 1919-06-25
Makes U. s. the ROustabout
and Paying Teller of the
World, He Declares.
"A BREEDER OF CONFLICT"
Former Senator Joins Attack
on Covenant in Speech to
Keystone State Lawyers.
Special Dcspdich TO The Sun.


horse Of the world IL the people have
anything to say about It, The question
OF the League OF Nations Is a mighty one
on which the people have a right to pass.
The people must be given that right. and
unless the old American spirit Is dead
the people will be given that right"
With this declaration Albert ]. Bever-
idge, former United States Senator from
Indiana, entered tonight the great de-
bate which centres in the Senate and is
spreading over the land. His address at
the annual meetings Of the Pennsylvania
Bar Association was one of the strong
et and best phra sed indictments OF the
proposed covenant that has been drawn.
He doubted IL one person out Of hun
dred who have been taught by ceaseless
propaganda that some sort of & league
was desirable, would tolerate this scheme
II freshly presented to them. He said II
makes the United States "at once the
roustabout and paying teller for the rest
OF the world" bound to do the work and
pay the debts of other nations when
ordered by .he superstate. He foresaw
America in perpetual conflicts on every
continent II she came under the yoke Of
the league.
Even now we are told that the thing
Is done and cannot be undone." he said.
"But this 10 not tho truth. America is
not committed to membership in the
superstate and never will be unless the
Amt rican Senate consents. And the
Senate will never consent until some way
Is found to place this tremendous ques-
ton directly before the American people
and their answer to 1t is secured.
For the People to Decide.
will any league advocate tell us why
the people should not vote on this
mighty issue-an issue which affects the
people far more seriously than any upon
which they have voted since our Gov
eminent was founded? Self-determina-
Don OF peoples seems to have been
lowered from the hie~ plane Of sublime
principle to that Of n mere catchword
and then abandoned as catchwords al
ways have been abandoned heretofore.
In Asia and Europe that phrase has be-
come kissing byword. But in America,
thank God. we have American Senators
who will die in their places before they
will permit the American nation to be
victimized, unless and until the Ameri-
can people themselves consent to sur
render their rights. their powers. their
sovereignty and their independence"
Mr.. Beveridge called his topic League
VS.. Nation" He spoke first of the ana
logy urged by advocates Of the league
between our own Constitution and that
Of the interns tional government. II this
analogy be true, he said. the league
covenant must be construed at Geneva
and not by the separate members of
the superstate. Just as rights and pow
ers which the States of our Union
thought they possessed when our Con-
stitution was adopted have been con-
strued away, reducing the powers of the
States and increasing those of the ma
ton, so the superstate will determine
its own powers and the obligations Of
Its members.
And to what will this leadT' he
asked. He continued:
IN case the American nation. as a
member OF the league. shall assert that
We retain the rights. powers. sover-
eighty and independence We now pos
sess, and the superstate shall deny our
claim, must we not yield? II We refuse
to yield. what would that entail? Would
It not entail war?
A Surrender of Freedom.
DO We not, by Joining the superstate.
action and decision as to our own
rights. powers and policies--our very
sovereignty and independence, Indeed
or else knowingly place ourselves in a
situation where we must go to war to
maintain them? Yet they are not now
In danger; they are now secure: but will
any man say that they are not at least
imperilled II not destroyed the moment
we become a member of the superstate
Let those who have been told that this
League OF Nations Is TO bring universal
peace make sure that II does not in
stead SOW dragons teeth.
"Of course, those who are willing that
the American nation shall become as
subordinate to the superstate as our
States are now subordinate to our gen.
sral Government can logically favor
making the United States a member OF
that superstate. But how can Ameri-
cans who wish our republic to continue
70 be sovereign and independent ma
Ton, clothed with all the rights and
powers we now enjoy. and retaining the
advantages God has given us-how can
Americans who want to keep for our
selves and hand down to our children
1nimpaired the heritage we received
from our fathers unimpaired-how can
euch Americans ever consent that our
country be merged Into n hybrid inter
sational confederacy and the American
Government be subordinated to 1t?
section 10 of the covenant would
oind US to 60 to war to defend from
external aggression new territorial
boundaries fixed by the Big Four, as
wen as old boundaries recognized by
mat body, and to support the political
Independence of the Powers governing
those territories. II this Is not the true
rurport OF that section. what is the
Ieal meaning OF II? But our Constitu-
uon gives Congress the exclusive power
to declare war.
Points to Some PerIIs.
As member Of the superstate. which
would govern us. section 10 OF the cove.
naht or the war power of our Constitu.
uTn Both cannot stand--they are alb.
toiutely irreconcilable. BY the covenant
We would be pledged to make war
mhether We wish to do 30 or not II
congress should refuse would we moi
preaK our treaty? And would not this
invite retaliation? Would II not, as the
least and certain result, bring upon M
tne hatred OF the nation We refuse tc
support and the dlstrust Of ali other ma
ana what are the boundaries Of the
foreign states which the league covenant
would bind US to defend with American
p'ood and treasure? Does any human
being now In America know? Il moi
THIS all that anybody in America doe,
know-thst these boundaries inciose new
md old ~dominions In every quarter o,
me globe? Under the covenant, In short
We would uhderwrite forever the status
Suo OF the whole world az the Big Foul