The sun., 1919-10-08
JOHNSON ATTACKS
LEAGUE ASSEMBLY
Asserts 1t Is Not Mere De-
batting Society but Imperils
United States.
OUTvOTING OF AMERICA
Equality of Power With Great
Britain Is Advocated
by Senator.
Special Despatch 10 Tns sus.


PORTLAND. Ore, oct 7.--"If the as
senrbly of the League of Nations Is a
mere debating society, a powerless body.
as II has been described by the Presi-
| dent, then there has been practiced on
| the world the most egregious fraud In
all the annals OF tifre" declared Sena-
tor Johnson tCal.) at q mass meeting In
the Auditorium here tonight
Because" continued Senator Johnson.
'if the assembly be a mere debating
society, then we have an oligarchy OF
| fve great nations who are forever 10
, rule the world, and the weak nations
must forever sit at their feet, dependent
wholly upon their bounty and good VIII
, and upon their charity.
| "That Is so obvious. II ought not to
require argument to demonstrate IT, You
ask all the world into the assembly
| you make five permanent members or
| the council. the FIVE great Powers, ana
! then you say the assembly Is a mere
debating society and that the five great
Powers will forever rule and do rs they
please and the assembly can do moth
| ing. Why, this would be simply invit-
| ing the weak nations of the earth to
come under the mastery of the hve
great nations of the earth. and the whole
thing would be fraud. The decent,
honorable and Just nation never should
| enter into 1t under such circumstances.
But the assembly is not an impotent
nor Is It a mere debating society"
Feature OF Senator's Reply.
This was the feature of the Senators
reply to the attacks which have been
made upon his amendment to the treaty
! providing that the voting power OF the
United States in the League of Ma
| tons be placed on an equality with that
of the British Empire.
AL noon to-day Senator johnson spoke
at a luncheon given In his honor by the
| Portland Chamber of Commerce. He
was the dinner guest of the Republican
Club of this city in the evening. His
| audiences gave the most profound at
tention and applauded his arguments
| against the un-American' features of
| the League of Nations covenant.
when the President Of the United
States told you that the only place
where there could arise a question as
to the voting power OF Great Britain
was in the assembly. and that there II
was of no consequence. he had forgotten
perhaps that he had written to Canada
| saying that Canada was eligible for
| membership upon the council and might
! thereafter sit upon that council" the
! Senator said in his evening speech.
| "Now, Just a word about the council
| First there Is the inner council. which
you might liken to board Of directors
of a corporation Next there is the
outer assembly of all the members OF
the league. which you might liken to
the stockholders Of a corporation. And
the power that is vested in this outer
assembly Is not unlike the power that
Is vested in the stockholders of a cor
poration, In their finality of action con-
/ cerning what the inner board of di-
rectors may do. A reading of the cove
nant will demonstrate this.
| Powers of the Assembly.
"I will enumerate some of the powers
of the assembly very hastily. The as
Bembly has absolute power OF self-ex-
| tension. It may admit or reject men,
bers of the League OF Nations. II has
therefore the inherent power to deter
mine who shall be the members of the
great world confederation. You viii
| realize that this is indeed a great power
when say to you that to-day less than
half OF the white peoples Of the earth
are members OF this League of Nations
and It is presumed that the remainder
more than one-half OF the white peoples
Of the earth. will be invited to join the
league.
"The assembly determines the admis
sion of self governing States or colonie.
ahd determines who or what constitutes
self-governing State or colony.
you recall the case with which Indi;
came into the League of Nations yo,
will see at once that the number Of self
governing colonies will be limited onl