The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-09-12
JOHNSON ASKS
FOR A FREE U. S.
Flags Wilson and Suppress
sion OF Speech and Thought
ny FRED =. FERGUSON
II niieti Press staff Corrr,pondrnf J

~ mtsd brrrs Ntaff correspondents
ST, LOUIS. No. sept i2.--Now
squarcly aairido President Wilson's
trail and receiving cheers for bis
criticism OF the league Of nations
from tho Same localities which heard
tho chief executives arguments
Senator johnson was today develop
lnE very definite line OF attack on
tho presidents demand for unquaii-
fled acceptance Of the peace treaty.
InhHting that tho treaty was
drawn purely on the lines OF the -
crrt engagements entered into among
the big powers before America en-
tered the war. he points out tina,
article y. Of the covenant means that
tho United States guarantees this Sc
cret bartcrinR % peoples and terri
tories for all time.
A bis crowd. packing every inch Of
space In Tomllnson hall at fndinnnp-
oils Lar, night. rose and shouted it's
approval % the senator's statement,
that America would not be party TO
such infamy.
Calls II Duplicify
Before the Indianapolis audience
he drew n dramatic picture Of Bal
four, Niviani and other foreign
statcmncn and diplomats standing be-
fore the senate after our entrance
into the war and talking of the rights
Of free peoples and other democratic
principles for which America was
fighting.
And while they stood there, and
hearts throhbed at the thought that
these men had In their minds what
We had IN ours. they had their in
side pockets bulging with secret
treaties carving up the world" John
son shouted. such duplici,y Ia un.
exampiod In the history OF the world.
But when the president seeks 20 keep
up the duplicl,y by binding our sons
TO guarantee II, | say II shall not bc.'
He asked the crowd whether Il was
willing. since the other powers Of the
world were bankrupt. tina; American
boys should go out and police the
world The answer was n rcsounding
NO" that fairly shook the building.
Thought Suppressed
Starting in Chicago. and develop
ing the theme further In 1ndianap-
oils. johnson is also driving over an
attack on espionage laws and laws Of
repression and suppression" which
are still preventing independent
thought.
There was a time" the senator de-
olared when any man stood with
his head high. and dared have an in
dependent thought. differing from
that OF the power OF control. he was
immc diatcly called 'pro-Germnn.' II
mattored not what test OF his 10y
atty might show. Later this was
changed and people dared not speak
what was in their hearts because
they would be termed 'Bolshevik.
But you can't Brighten people any
longer. The time has passed when
you can brighten men who disagree
with those in power by calling them
pro-German or Bolshcvik.
Tho senator Is demanding that
President Wilson tell the people Of
the country what actually occurred
in secrecy in Paris-not merely the
flabbiness of his intentions"
Roars Of Approval
The plea for right OF independent
thought, the attacks on article X. and
the thrusts at the president brought
roars OF approval from the big In
dianapolis crowd.
Responding to the argument that
the treaty is the best that could be
gotten, and that IL should. therefore,
/ be accepted without question. John
son said was like missing that be-
cause you only had one egg. and
that was rotten. you should cat II.