The sun., 1919-04-13

sarcastic attack on president Wilson, he
based 1t on the fact that the President
had asked the United states to accept
the League OF Nations on faith--the
faith of President Wilson. Consequently
Mn. Barnes examined his record be-
ginning with the too proud to fight"
speech, through the peace without vic
tory" utterance and down TO the -four
teen points" and what's become OF them
to establish Mr.. Wilson's credibility as
witness.
He declared that the league was not
only nebulous and unknown but that
such of its principles as were known
deprived the United States of its free
dom. promoted war rather than pre-
vented II, and last and most important
promoted what he called the "intcrna-
tlonal mind" subverslve of both the per-
sonal and national individualsm upon
which the progress of the world and
the happiness of mankind ultimately
rest.
harness Opening Speech.
Mr.. Barnes in his first speech said:
Confident that man Is not reason
ing but an aspiring animal, the attempt
has been made-and fairly successfully
to shift the burden of proof from
where 1t belongs. An interesting evil
dence of this attempt is shown in the
form used by a New York newspaper in
conducting a referendum on the subject.
The ballot which 1t has used states the
question, DO you wish the United States
to enter a League OF Nations to preserve
peace? Over one hundred and thirty
thousand replies were received, about
thirty thousand OF which were in the
negative.
1.-THE newspaper having begged the
t,ta ipp igl,t hot thor
would be no negative answers to a
question so phrased. There were, how
ever. thirty thousand persons who were
willing to put themselves in the position
that they were not in favor of the
United States joining a league for the
preservation of peace!
Proper inquiry into this project an6
examination of the details of the cove
nant as originally drawn. on the part o.
Senators OF the United States, who un.
der our Constitution have authority tc
advise the Executive in the making Of
| treaties, which cannot be valid withou
their consent. has been pilloried by tn,
| ADVOCATES of this proposal as IL the ad
vertised virtue, unselfshness and devo
| ton to democracy Of the United State,
| were concentrated in the mind of on,
person alone as II democracy consisted
in the abolition in fact Of the Legislative
branch of the Government; as II al
powers in democracy should be cen
tired. in chief executive.
| Nowhere have l found an argumen
which convinces me that this covenan
| will accomplish the purpose for whicl
| II was drawn. AS matter of fac
are we not at this very moment livinJ
under It's provisions? Are not the des
tmies of the world practically row :,
| the hands of four men In Paris, tn
| heads of four great Governments? Ar
not these four man backed at this mo
| ment by the greatest military powe
ever assembled upon the fa.e OF tn
gle he-more men. more armament. NOR
ships, more flying machines than wer
ever before gathered under one higl
command. They are in effect the ex
ecutiVe council OF the proposed league
Have they brought peace? On tn
contrary, in the very face of this unifie
power, backed by the greatest possibl
military force. Lenine has not hesitate
to grow more autocratic, more bellicose
and Hungary has accepted the Russia
doctrine OF the inequality of man.
Frittered Away It's Time.
THE truth that stares us In the fac
is that the Executive Council Of tn
league now sitting has frittered ava
its time, permitted the probable coord
nation of Germany, Russia, Hungar
and Austria under its very nose. ha
not yet obtained peace, and we ar
all wondering whether we won the WA
IF we are to tahe the proposal o
faith as Americans IT is natural tha
we should turn to its chief proponcr
in America and put to the test OF
experience in his judgments.
Il can recall no instance in relatio
to any international matter where tn
facts have worked out in accordanc
with the analysis that he has advanced
My memory leads me back to reversal
of attitude on his part, due, as 1t seem
TO me, to a false conception of the me
tive springs of human nature. Whe
he tells a Mexican that the United State
Is too proud to fight" a Mexican under
stands only that the United States
afraid TO fight When he tells the Gel
mans that we are for a peace will
} out victory" the German mind take
, that to be. purely and simply, an ev
: dence Of weakness which encourages
to further effort
, as ci,i..s