The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-25
Calls League Of Nations Cove
nant a New Charter
for Liberty Of
Men.
BUBBLE Is EXPLODED
Explains That Great Britain Has Not
Six Votes to Americas One In
the League Meet
inss.

limited Press Leased Wire Service.]
DENVER, Colo, Sept. 25.-Presi-
dent Wilson's speech here today, In
part, follows:
Mr. Chairman, my fellow country
men:
1 always feel thrill OF pride stand
ing before great company of my
fellow citizens to speak of this great
document which we shall always
know as the treaty of Versailles. l
am proud to speak for 1t because, for
the first time in the history of inter
national consultation, men have
turned away from the ambitions of
government and sought to advise the
fortunes of people; they have turned
from those older plans of domination
and sought to lay anew the founda-
tions of liberty of mankind. say
without hesitation that this is the
great document of liberation. 1t is
new charter for the liberty OF men;
and as we advanced from week to
week, and from month to month, in
| the debate of this great document,
think a great many things we talked
about at first have cleared away.
1 You will notice that with the single
exception of the provision In regard
! to the transfer from the German en-
! pire of the Shantung province to
Japan, practically nothing in the
/ body of the treaty has seemed to
adoption. All the controversies, all
the talk has centered on the league
of nations, and am glad to see the
issues centered.
l want, just by way Of introduc-
10
point out what is not often enough
explained to audiences in this country
the actual constitution Of the league
Of nations. 1t consists Of two bodies,
council and an assembly. The
assembly is the numerous body; in it
every self governing state that has a
vote on the league is represented,
and not only the self governing in
dependent states, but the self gov
erning colonies and domfnions.
1t is in the assembly that the com
bined representation of the several
members of the British empire are
assigned six votes and you are con
stantly being told that Great Britain
/ has six votes and we nave one. |
want you to appreciate the full sig
nificance OF that; they have six
votes in the assembly and the as
sembly don't vote. So that bubble is
exploded. There are several matters
| in which the vote or the assembly
must keep with the vote of the coun-
ell, but in every such case unani-
nous vote of the council is neces-
sary Inasmuch as the United States
is a permanent member Of the coun-
Gil her vote is necessary to every
active policy OF the league, and
therefore the single vote Of the
United States always counts six, so
far as the votes of the British empire
are concerned; and If it is mere
question of pride, would rather be
one and count six than six and count
six. And that affords emphasis to
the point l wish to keep distinctly in
mind with regard to reservations
and all the qualifications Of ratifica-
ton which are being discussed. No
action can be undertaken by the
League without the asserting vote of
the United States.
That being the case, it becomes
sheer nonsense, my fellow citizens to
talk about separate government
being set up over the United States
lit becomes sheer nonsense to say that
any authority is constituted which
can move our armies TO other parts
of the world. 1t cannot interfere
with our domestic questions, it can
not direct our international policy,
even. In any matter in which we do
not consent to be directed. Of course
I do not mean to say that we do not
agree to pool our moral issues. We
do that in acquiescing m the cove
nant of the leagus and do attempt to
adopt certain fundamental moral
principles of right and justice. We
4 are not turning any corner, and we