The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-20
LEAGUE UPHELD
BY REPUBLICAN
SEN. M'CUMBER
DAKoTAN REPLIES TO ARou.
MENTs OF MANY OF THE PAX.
TIsAN OPPONENTS OF PEACE
PROGRAM.

Washington. June 19-Declaring OPP
ponents of the League of Nations
have conducted a campaign OF mis-
representation and distortion, Senator
McCumber, of North Dakota repuD-
lican member of the foreign relarioGs
committee, told the senate today the
league covenant offered the only pres
ent hope of preventing future and
more terrible wars.
Replying to arguments OF many re-
publican senator's, he upheld the
league as entirely consistent with the
American constitution and devoid of
any ability to dangerously entangie
or curtail American interests.
I'm twenty years of service in the
senate" said the North Dakota sena-
tor. 81 have known but one instru-
ment whose terms have been so will
fully n1isrepresented and so grossly
misinterpreted as the covenant of the
League Of Nations. 1t Is regrettable
that the mighty power OF eloquence
Is used to defame and distort the true
meaning of an instrument, the most
portant that ever appealed to the
heart or soul of man.
Suppose we now refuse to join
with the rest Of the world in some
scheme to prevent war, what wIli
happen? AS surely as the sun shall
rise, every great nation will proceed
to devise means for the wholesale
destruction OF nations. So desperate
will be the next war that all the hate
and ali the venom created by this
struggle will be infinitesmal compared
with the next. And against what
race will ali these weapons Of death
be used? Against the white race
Quoting the declaration OF Senator
johnson, republican of California. that
America, by virtue Of her isolation,
does not need the European powers
as partners" Mr.. McCunber said
isolation had long since broken down,
q European quarrel having cost this
country in the past five years 10000
| lives and 10000, 100000
There is no moral duty incumbent
upon any man in his relation to his
fellow man." he continued. that is
not equally incumbent upon a nation
in its relation to every other nation.
"Of course not one of US would have
written this covenant just as it mas
come to US. But this covenant rep
resents the deliberations of nations.
1t deals with complex situations. 1t
comes to us as a compromise compact
And to secure the support of this
made to U.s. Our Monroe Doctrine
is by this instrument given a world
| sanction.
The members OF the league under
take to preserve the territorial integ-
rity only against external aggression.
1t has been asserted and re-asserted
| in oil the false attacks on this instru-
ment that the United States would
be compelled to help Great Britain
preserve her domain against her own
internal revolutions or rebellions.
Nothing could be more false. 1t is
only against external aggression that
the league assures its protection"
Referring to charges that the Unf-
ted States would be at a disadyan-
tage in the league because 1t has only
one vote, the speaker said the i'm
portant decisions would be made in
the council where the only votes
| would be one each for the five great
powers with unanimous action re-
quired to effect a decision or to trans
fer consideration of question to the
assembly. Answering objections that
Great Britain would have too many
votes in the assembly. he continuous:
What would be the danger to us
of having Canada, Australia and New
Zealand, blood of our blood and bone
of our bone, made members of the
assembly? You give black Haiti =
vote. you give black Liberia vote.
But you would deny the great, ir1de-
pendent commonwealth of Canada the
right to raise her voice"
Mr. McCumber also declared he
personally would be opposed to leav-
ing Germany out of the league, fear
ing that action might lead to future
divisions and jealousies.