The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-12
CROWD
CHEERS Johnson
ATTACK ON PACT
California Scion BIarneS VIII
son for Present Situation
and Indianapolis Audience
Grows Enthusiastic.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. l2.-Sen-
ator Hiram w. Johnson. Of California.
was enthusiastically received here last
night by a crowd which filled the lar
gest hall in the downtown section in
the second address OF his speaking tour
through the Middle West to oppose ratl-
fieatlen OF the league OF nations coy
eAept by the United States senate. The
mass meeting was arranged BY Q nom
partisan eitizehs' committee.
Fhere were cries Of you are right;
you are right" when Senator ,yohuvoa
INSISTED that American troops should
Immediately be brought back from Rusy
ne was frequently interrupted N
o. nations by the cheers Of the crowd.
Mhen pc asked the crowd if 1t favored
ne league Of nations there were loud
Senator Johnson declared that II re-
ponslbility for the high cost of living
hssss upon n agency or man, u rests
MP0n the present national administra-
Ton and Woodrow Wilson.
'Yresident Wilson adds to his fear
some harsh names, appeals to our ma
tGFtal interests, n even taxes the
two months that the league and treaty
nave been before the American people
2 senate with the high cost Of Ivy
ms" said Senator johnson. "He con-
veniently forgets the eight months he
spent abroad, secretly pledging our re-
sources and u mai power to Euro
pean and Asiatic governments.
The two months of discussion by
u people and our senate in the open
Of what he discussed secretly for eight
months has had, Of course, nc bearing
upon, and the reasonable discussion liz
the future can not possibly affect, the
high cost Of living.
IF any single individual can be
charged with the responsibility for the
high cost Of living that man is VIII
son. Living costs in December and
January last were substantially what
exactly the same laws he new invokss.
lHe had neither time nor inclination
70 deal. with q problem then practically
as acute a 1t Is now. He never even
touched the subject, except pAtTonixy
lngiy and as an ephemerAI III Of No
consequences or Importance. It makes
mediate ratification of his treaty. He
would frighten us by a cheap and sps-
ctous statement, devoid Of economic
logie and wanting in any sound reason.
He covers his own defeliction by an
~unfounded counter-charge. Remember
hls address to congress, Dec. 2, last
The moment we knew the armistice
to have been signed. we took the har-
pess of, It is surprising how fast the
process OF return 10 a peace footing has
moved In the three weeks since the
ftghtins stopped His idea OF. recon-
struction then was, It win not be easy
z a'f itself / e Then esi IL h snfn aI Il Sin ti Sls
for action last December and might
have prevented the subsequent continy
uanee Of high prices. These r hts
words: Our people do~not wait to be-
coached and led. Amy leading strings
we might seek to put them In would
because they would pay no attention to
them and 90 their own way. the Amer
lean business man is Of quick initiative
AT that time we had a competent
federal food administration, completely
organized throL ghout the nation. Mr.,
Wilson deliberately strapped this vast
: part, At least o. TIE ca ass o. RisS
prices, Now, months altar he has dis
tnissed the federal and state agencies,
he Is calling them together again 70
deal with the question. The ratifica-
tion Of the treaty may increase exports;
e eSaito ases Il home N s1P n res TaI nj refuge fSs
the high cost OF living rests upon any
agency or man, It rests upon the pres
ent administration and Woodrow WI
son.
Speaking Of article 10 Of the covenant
Of the league Senator johnson, after
quoting President Wilson's interpfeta.
ton Of the section, said:
ut makes America underwFite every
territorial grab OF every other nation,
every wrong and injustice done peoples,
every bargain by which human beings
have been handed about from one SOY.
ereignty to another, every violation OF
natural right and self determination,
every opposition Of the strong over the
weak. Naively the president remarks
that secret treaties hampered him at
the peace conference and embarrassed
the whole settlement. Ipferentially he
comedies the w~lekedness Of those secret
treaties, but he was neither hampered
nor embarrassed to such a degree as
couragecusly Tor his oft expressed prIn-
ciple. Not only did he abandon his
principles and abJeetly surrender hts
idealiem, but he became a part Of the
secret treaties he d~enounces when he
united In making them the basis u
action at Paris.n