The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-05
Lodge Wrong Again
Harvard President Speaks in
Defense Of League of
Nations.


League Of Nations would not neces-
sarily be binding on the nations
members Of the league, DR.. A. Law
ence Lowell, president of Harvard
University, said tonight addressing
the southern Congress for the League
Of Nations.
DR.. Lowell, the principal speaker
at the night session, referred to an
address today in the senate by Sena-
tor Lodge in which the Massachu-
setts senator warned the American
people to weigh carefully the consti-j
tuition of the league, said it should be
made clear whether the recommen-
dations of the leagues executive
council would be binding on the
member nations.
4 have the greatest respect for
Senator Lodge and have almost al
ways agreed with his opinions" said
DR.. Lowell, "but I find it impossible
to follow his doubt in this case. The
word recommend as distinguished
from decide order or require
would seem to have perfectly def
mite meaning, in common usage ana
in law. It means making a sugges-
ton for the consideration Of some
one else who is at liberty to accept
the recommendation or not as he
thinks proper.
ITO me it seems perfectly clear
that this is what the delegates from
the IA nations who agreed to this re-
port intended. and if that was their
intention, and the language really is
capable of different construction no
doubt they would be willing to make
it clear
american Ideals and a Leagues of
Nations was the subject discussed by
speakers tonight. Besides DR.. Lowell
they included DR.. Anna Howard
Shaw and Capt. Thomas G.. Cham
berlain, Z. S. A.
The congress which opened today
with delegates from over the South
east will continue through tomorrow.
Former President Taft, who spoke to-
day in favor Of the league Of nations,
will be the chief speaker again to-
morrow night.
In his address at the .openins'. ses-
sion of the congress today Former
President Taft, advocating the league
Of nations, asserted that unless the
great nations Of the world unite in
covenant to maintain peace. another
great war is inevitable.
eve shall go through the same
sad course OF events which the his
tory OF this war records" he exclaim-
ed "in which we shall attempt TO be
neutral and then be inevitably
drawn in by our close relations tc
European countries.
The next war, he said. will be more
horrible through the lessons of de-
struction taught in this one. ut is
mistake to suppose the destructive
character of one war will prevent an
other" he added. The sresiliencya Of
peoples and their forgetfulness Of
horrors are instructive in human
nature
The question now before the
American people" said Mr. Taft
turning to the proposed league it,
self, lis not whether a formal treaty
shall be ratified by the senate. The
question is whether a draft report OF
the proposed covenant and league OF
the il nations represented at Paris
shall meet their approval. They
should give the president to know
that he will have their backing in
consenting to the incorporation OF
such covenant in the treaty.
Mr.. Taft said it was quite posi-
ble' that the draft contains ambig-
uous words which should be cleared
up and that certain reservations re-
garding the Monroe doctrine should
be made more specific,' which he
said, could easily be done by the
conference. The former president
then discussed the league of nations
in detail and asserted that critics OF
it utterly fail to tender any con-
structive suggestions. Among such
critics he cited Senators PoindeXter,
Reed and Borah, who, is added, con
fine their arguments to pointing out
the dangers of this covenant"
Mr.. Taft made another address to-
night explaining the Monroe doctrine
in detail and announcing that he
could not understand how critics in
congress of the league of nations
could fear that the league would in
terfere with the Monroe doctrine.
He added, however, that he had been
able to read only press reports OF
the debates and not the speeches in
full
president Wilson in proposing the
league of nations" said Mr.. Taft,
used the expression that he expect
ed the league to extend the Monroe
doctrine to the world" If it were ex-
tended to the whole world it would
of course remain in the western hem
sphere
Mr.. Taft also discussed the pro-
posed mandatories which the great
nations would be given over countries
unable to now care for themselves.