Evening star., 1919-09-23

sion of Russia to the league when
ever she proves herself a self-govern-
ing nation. Strictly speaking. juds-
ing from the Wilson speeches. the
presence Of the bolsheviki would
seem to argue that the Russian
people were not yet self-governing.
Prejudice Awakened.
Through the Wilson tour, while the
President has dealt effectively with
the broad general principles of main
tanning peace in the world; while he
has unquestionably won over hun
dreds of thousands Of persons to the
belief that the league covenant, how
ever imperfect at the start, can be re-
vised, corrected and made operative
and is worth trying, nevertheless the
prejudice of large parts of the popu-
lation has been awakened by the sep
arate lines Of attack on the part of
the league opponents.
First, the Irish sympathizers in the
United States have been led to believe
that Article X would not mean neu
trality on the part of the United
side Great Britain in the event that
,, Ireland tried self-determination by the
ancient method Of physical revolution.
Second, the Italians have been
worked up to opposition because of
! the prominent part President Wilson
played in denying Fiume to Italy.
| Third, the German sympathizers in
the United States who have been
silent during the war have Joined the
| extreme socialists and labor agitators,
were too harsh or too cruel. but that
| the league itself perpetuated the cap
italistic system and therefore meant
! death blow to the aspirations of the
| proletariat This propaganda is the
direct sequel to the German effort
YSNa a I,,~t
boring men in the United States that
| our war with Germany was capital
| lists war, for which utterance many
men were indicted under the espion-
| age act.
| The fact that the Washington gov
ernment has neither pardoned nor re-
| leased these so-called political pris-
! oners" has given the agitators in the
northwest especially an opportunity
! to continue their argument that the
league is the product and bulwark of
the capitalistic regime.
Kissed by 'Disafected."
In California intimate friends Of
senator Hiram Johnson told corre-
spondents travelling with the presi-
Dental party that they firmly believed
! where where the President was
| Kissed were made up in large part of
disaffected elements
The President has recognized the
existence of this agitation and so far
| as the Irish societies are concerned
ne has endeavored to show that Arti-
Gle refers only to external agrees
sion and that the sacred right or
| revolution is not here impaired.
Indeed, he has said in effect that
the government of the United States
would be enabled to do under article
frtA oNf y1,Af
have been possible for her to do
under international law only as an
unfriendly act. with all the dangers
of grave complications with the Brit
ish people. He has declared America
could bring the case of Ireland to the
bar of public opinion in the meetings
of the league. There is evidence that
some Irish sympathizers on the Pa
cific coast were won over to this doc
trine. but feared to cease agitating
lest the Irish question itself be lost
sight Of in the maelstrom of public
affairs.
AS for the Italian manifestations
they have not been as considerable as
those of the Irish, but the Italians
have joined in demonstrations initi-
ated by the other foreign influences
Alone the Italian influence would
have been insufficient to cause more
than a ripple. as many Italians have
not been assertive on the question
but that the I. W. WIS and the ex-
treme socialists are joined by large
German elements in the United States
has been noticeable.