Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-20
LEAGUE PLANS ARE ATTACKED
 VIGOROUSLY
Criticism Is Voiced In Both
 Houses of Congress.
POINDEXTER LEADS
 ATTACK IN SENATE
Discussion In House i ReprcSeh' tatiycS Game InrX-
 pcctedly.

Washington. Feb. 19.- Vigorous criticism of the proposed constltn- ton of the league of nations was voiced in both houses of congress to- day.
 Spoaking for three hours before crowded galleries, Senator PolndeN'er of Washington, republican, preciPl- | tated a discussion in the senate WHICH embraced other subjects and consum- ed practically the entire sessior. ! There was no fQrmal reply to the Washington senator from the demo- cratic side
 Discussion in the house was unex- , pected. Representative Fess of Ohio chairman of the republican congress 1 sional campaign committee. delivered a carefully prepared address In whlch he took up the constitution, section l by section and denounced the whole as ahridging the sovereignty of the 1 United States and containing vicious possibilities"
 Addresses Prepared.
 The address by Senator Poindexter and Representative Fess, were the first prepared ones made in congress since the constitution Of the league was published, and since President l Wilson requested that discussion he postponed until he could confer with 1 members of the senate and house foreign affairs committees at the I White House next week.
 During Senator Poindexter's ad- | l,nsc Con,1or tr;tohor,nE Sf NnbNa ka. Republican Leader Lodge, and Senators Knox of Pennsylvania, and Brandegee of Connecticut, all members of the foreign relations committee, briefly interjected comment on ques- tions involved in the league. Senator Reed of Missouri. democrat, spoke In criticism of the proposal and also
 vigorously denounced delay in de- mobilizing American troops. Senator ShafrOth of Colorado, democrat, in de lending the war department after MT.
 Reeds attack, spoke briefly in support Of the league charter, declaring 1t
 would stop nine-tenths of future wars. I BOrah Issues Letter.
 Senator Borah of Idaho, republican member of the foreign relations com mittee, who yesterday announced his
 refusal to attend the White House
 conference, today made public a let T ter he had written former President Taft, leading supporter of the league plan, asking MT. Taft whether
 he would support an amendment to
 the tentative constitution to provide
 specifically for maintenance of the
 Monroe doctrine.
 Senator Borah is ready to speak but
 may defer his address until Friday.
 Senator Cummins of Iowa, republican,
 also is preparing an address for de- livery this week and Senator Reed
 gave formal notice today that he would discuss the league on Saturday.
 Senator Hitchcock also is planning an early reply to the critics of the league
 Charges COnfileA Senator Poindexter, in his address } today declared that the league char ter conflicted with the constitution
 of the United States and meant not
 only surrender of American sover- eighty to European nations, but also : abandonment of the Monroe doctrine. He also declared the league plan 1n- volved colossal burden of entang. /, ling alliance" and would breed in- stead of preventing wars. Interrupting the Washington mem- :, Der, Senator Reed suggested that the leagues executive council would be , composed of eight non- American mem- bers-possibly enermies-and that its
 mandatory clause would require tho z United States to furnish troops in expressing nationalistic uprisings in
 Canada, Ireland, Australia and other countries.
 In his first public comment on the : league charter. Sanator Lodge de- k ciared he was convinced the provi- n sions for mandatories would te con- 2 pulsory upon signatOry nations. Hitchcock Answers.
 Disputing Senator Poindexter's
 statement that this was the first time - any attempt had been made to re- e strict congressional power, Senator 8 Hitchcock cited the Canadian boun- . diary treaty, with it's prohibition ,. against naval forces in boundary s waters, as a precedent of direct re- : struction" upon congressional pow /. CTS over armament. Senator Knox ' declared tho precedent applied only to ;. boundtry matters, while Senator
 Rrandegree said the treaty validatiua tho league could not be set aside as
 could be done in the case of other
 treaties.