The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-08-12
LODGE DEPICTS
LEAGUE FAULTS
Creates Alliance Embracing
Many "Provlsions for
War;" He Declares.
CAN NEVER ACCEPT PLAN
Appeals That America Be-
ware Of Impairing Her I.
Independence.


Washington, Aug. t2.--DssoribIns
1.-The league OF nations az q "deformed
experiment upon a noble purpose"
Senator Lodge, OF Massachusetts,,
chairman of the foreign relations
committee and republican leader Of
the senate, declared In q senate
speech today that there were features
Of the league covenant which "as an
American" he never could accept.
Creating, not a league Of peace, but
an alliance embracing many "provi-
sions for war" the covenant in lts
present form, he asserted, would kill
the Monroe doctrine, nullify any pos
sibiIity 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 wa
palter with our Independence. We
have not reached the great position,
from which we wore able to come
down into the field Of battle and help
to save the world from tyranny, by
being guided by others. Our vast
power has all been built up and gath
ered together by ourselves alone.
1--WE forced our way upward from
the days OF the Revolution, through
a world often hostile and always in
different. We owe no debt to any one
except to France In our Revolution
land those policies and those rights
on which our power has been
founded should never be lessened OF
weakened. 1t will be no service tc
the world to do SO and II will be, oi
intolerable injury 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 Grip
pling ourselves.
i Can't Divide His Allegiance.
i i am as anxious as any human
being can be to have the United
states render every possible service
to civilization and the peace OF man
kind, but l am certain we can do IL
best by not putting ourselves In lead
ing strings or subjecting our policies
and our sovereignty to other nations.
will go as far as any one in world
service, but the first step toward
world service Is the maintenance of
the independence of the United
States. You may call me selfish IL
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 / must think OF
| the United States first, and when I
think of the United States first in
an arrangement like this / am think
ing of what is best for the world, for
II the United States fails the best
hopes Of mankind fill with it. I have
never had but one allegiance-I can
not divide 1t now.
THE United States is the worlds
best hope, but II you fetter her in
the interests and quarrels of other
nations, IL you tangle her in the in
trigues of Europe, you will destroy
her power for good and endanger her
very existence.
1--WE are told that we shall break
the heart of the world II we do not
take this league just as 1t stands. I
fear that the hearts of the vast ma
Jority of mankind would beat on
strongly and steadily and without
any quickening If the league were to
perish altogether. If 1t should tbe
effectively and beneficently changed
the people who would lie awake in
sorrow for a single night could be
easily gathered in one not very large
room, but those who would draw a
long breath Of relief would reach to
millions.
Ideals Not Arguments.
ideals have been thrust upon us
an argument for the league until the
healthy mind which rejects cant re-
volts from them. Are ideals confined
to this deformed experiment upon a
noble purpose, tainted as 1t is with
bargains and tied to a peace treaty
which might have been disposed of
long ago to t.e great benefit of the
world If 1t had not been compelled to
barry this rider on its back?
mo doubt many excellent and pa
triottc people see a coming fulfilment
of noble ideals in the words league
for peace We all respect and share
these aspirations and desires, but
some of us see no hope, but rather
defeat, for them in this murky cove
nant. For we, too, have our ideals,
even II we differ from those who have
tried to establish a monopoly of
idealism. Our first ideal is our coun-
try. We would have our country
strong to resist a peril from the west,
as she has flung back the German
menace from the east. We would not
have our politics distracted and en-
bittered by the dissensions of other
lands.
80 far as the question of isolation
goes, 1t is impossible to isolate the
United States. We may set aside all
this empty talk about isolation. No
body expects to isolate the United
States or to make 1t a hermit nation,
which is sheer absurdity. But there
IS wide difference between taking a
part and bearing a due re-
sponsibility in world affairs and
the United States into every
and conflict on the face
# the globe"
Lodge on Article Ten
I'm Article Y the United States is
bound on the appeal of any member OF
the league not only to respect. but to
preserve its independence and its boun-
1aries. and that pledge, IL we give IT,
must be fulfilled. There Is to me no
distinction whatever In a treaty be-
tween what some persons are pleased
70 call legal and moral obligations A
.reaty rests and must rest, except
where II Is imposed under duress and
iecurftles and hostages are taken for
Is fulfillment. upon moral obligations
rhe pathway OF dishonor is always
'pen. But whatever the United states