The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-07-25


take to respect and preserve as against
external aggression the territorial in
tesrity and existing political independ-
enee of all members of the Leagne. in]
case Of any such aggression or in case
Of any threat or danger Of such as-
| sression, the Council shalt advise ups,
on the means by which this obligation
shall be fulfilled"
| In other words the United States
pledges itself to go to war on the side
! of any one Of the Heterogeneous mem
bers of the League that gets into trou-
BILE with another country. To do this
we are told that we must have stand
ing army of more than half a million
men and a navy of quarter million
men. Our standing army before we
got into this European business hardly |
exceeded 10000 men at any time. -
For more than a hundred years
America got along without having to
sacrifice a. single life in European war |
fare while Europe waged more than SO
wars in that time. Now we are asked
to underwrite the belligerency of Eu-
lropeans with the blood of American
boys, who will be conscripted in any
contingency upon the advise Of the
Council of the League of Nations.
Under the League of Nations Great
Britain proposes to maintain her pres
ent mighty navy and an army OF a
million men by conscriptlon. France
Durposes to maintain a standing army
of two million men; Italy the same. Eu-
L rope will continue the same armed
e camp it was prior to 1914. And yet
e President Wilson tells us that this
thing will end war, that the bright
Il rays of the millennium are shining down
e upon us and blistering our eye balls,
u while the doves of peace are coolng all
around. President Wilson says it Will
break the heart of the world" if Amer
= lea fails to enter into this infamous,
suicidal lunatic thing.
Those Sinister Finaneiers
Senator Reed charged that the
League of Nations is the creature OF
= y international bankers and that 1t Is
- supported by American Financiers be-
- cause they see in it a gigantic 1nstru-
- ment of force to protect their invest
ments in European securities ana 10
- enable them to exploit the european
countries and their own country TO an
extent hitherto undreamed OF. He e2-
hibited proofs to show that there Is al
VI ready on foot a scheme to organize
Us giant monopoly of American lapol
Jill and produce under the direction OF
ae' New York f1nanciers. He pointed ou
ol- that these financiers foresee profits o.
iS' billions in buying European bonds a
H. 40 or so cents on the dollar, if the Uni.
ted States can be trapped into TIL
League of Nations and made to guar
gu antee the liquidation of those securl
IL ties by force of arms.
nu In his speech Senator Reed used tn
g name of President Wilson cautiously
ne but he fayed those Senators who o.
Ter the Presidents bidding, saying the
ltS thought more of Presidents approVa
HIS than a nations honor and would rathe
hask in the light of Wilsonian appro
Dr. baton than be true to their country.
ne Displeases WiIsonians
III No greater evidence of the fact tina
the Democratic party has degenerate
%" into a one man party with no soul Q
oninion of it's own outside the WHIT
li"' House. is necessary than the treat
mont accorded Senator Reed by locs
aoii Dernocrats. None of the so-called lead
0A ers called upon him while he was
the CITY. many of them stayed ava
liz from his lecture and the local ez
he ,,nnsas incident to the occasion we1
1lA defrayed by Republicans. r. r. Aye
lo- lott Judge w M. Bond and H. S. War
a. were in turn invited to introduce tf
1ly' sneaker to his Elizabeth City aud
h0' ence. Mr. Aydlett had a good excuse
ei- Iudee Bond thought he had anoth'
engaeement; Mr.. Ward averred thf
Senator Reeds actions of late had dl'
1 n1eased him and he couldn't afford
his oo ~, tho same platform wit
the t. 5ovo1ved upon a Republica
or G. r. Pugh to introduce the speake
and ,iaI, ba did modestly and in got
form.
ton Nr.nv local Democrats resented Sci
has ator Reeds appearance here becau
Ma 1rr p,,eb was responsible for his con
it's ing They did not take cognizance
title - f.o+ that before Mr.. Pugh cou
is oct Senator Reed, it was necessary
90 ,,+o,d an invitation to him signed
que the Chamber of Commerce ana lea
i,- business and professional men r
ged eardless Of party affiliations. VI couis
the 20 Ren,h1icans made capital Of Sc
,oli a+or Reeds speech. That's politics.
z is R,7t what stuck in the hldes ol
ula- ,oanv nartisans was the fact that ne
folk, z1ss Democrat Senator who dared
Be- o-z,r.ss an opinion in opposition
and +ha president of the United stat
luch 17a,.;1v there ia no party but Wooor'
the nd M one else has a right to an OPT
anna io,, that isn't dictated from the Wh
nish House Senator Reed was not 81
1000 cions1v received because he does
giti- .sree with President Wilson ana 4
AS tho courage to take the platform a
speak his own opinions. Ills recepo
vhen at the hands of local Democrats p"
Ma therefore shabby because so many
sue's our townsmen have become 1nnocui
Lual ed with the idea that man nan
ague Wilson is infallib1e and that Deihs
Democrat these days means nun
submission to the dictatorship OF