The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-06

the document are expressed in proyf-
siohs by which all the member states
agree that they will never go 10 war
without first having done one or the
other Two things, either submitted the
matter IN controversy TO arbitration. In
az duration, in which case tney agree 10
abide by the verdict, or submitting Il to
discussion in the counsel OF the league
oil nations, and for that purpose they
consent to allow six months for the
discussion, and whether they like the
opinion expressed or not, that thew will
not go to war for three months after
that opinion has been expressed, so that
Sou have, whether you get arbitration
or not nine months discussion ana |
a to remind you that that Is the
central principle Of some 80 treaties en-
tered into between the United states
OF America and some 80 other sovereign
nations, all of which are confirmed BY
the senate of the United States.
we have such IN agreement with
France; we have such an agreement
with Great Britain; We have such an
agreement with practically every great
nation except Germany, which refused
to enter into such an arrangement be-
cause, my fellow citizens, Germany
knew that she intended something that
did not bear discussion and that In she
had submitted the purpose which led
TO this war to so much as one months
discussion, she never would have dared
go into the enterprise against mankind.
which finally did go into (applause),
and there, / say that this principle OF
discussion Is the principle already
adopted by America.
Boycott Is Weapon.
And what is the eompulsion to do
this? The ~compulsion is this. that IL
any member state violates that promise
to submit either to arbitration or dis
c%ussion, II is thereby ipso facto,
deemed to have committed an act of
war against all the rest, Then you
will ask, do we at once take up arms
and fight them? No. We do some
thing very much more terrible than
that, We absolutely boycott them.
Let any merchant put up to himself
that II he enters into a covenant and
then breaks IL and the people all around
absolutely desert his establishment and
VIII have nothing to do with him, ask
him after that II II will be necessary
TO send the police? The most terrible
thing that can happen to any individual
and the most conclusive thing that can
happen to a nation is to be read out Of
decent society ~tapplause).
There was another thing that we
needed to accomplish, that Is accom-
pllshed In this document, We wanted
disarmament and this document pro-
vides In the only possible way for dis
armament by common agreement. OBJ
serve, my fellow citizens, that just now
every great fighting nation In the
world Is a member Of this partnership
except Germany, and inasmuch as Ger
many has accepted a limitation Of her
army to 100, 900 men, | don't think for
the time being she ma be retarded az
a great fighting nation.
And you know, my fellow citizens,
that ornaments mean great standing
armies, and great stores OF war mate
rial. They do not mean burdensome
taxation merely, they do not NEAR
merely compulsory military service,
which a y the economic strength Of the
nation. but they mean the building up
OF II military class. Again and again,
my fellow citizens, in the conference at