Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-07-04
LEAGUE OF NATIONS A
CONCLAVE OF AMBASSADORS

ing statement by U. s. Senator viii
liam e. Borah was given out today
through the Republican Publicity
Association:
IF the people of the United States
were asked to endorse a plan of gov
eminent under which they could not
elect their President, their Congress
men or their. Governors they would
unhesitatingly reject it and condemn
to private life any one who had pro-
posed it. II there is any one prin-
ciple more thoroughly established
than another in the minds of the
American people and IL there is any
one principle more essential than an
other to the preservation Of free gov
eminent 1t is this--that public ser.
wants and public officials must be
elected by the people for limited
term and thereby return again to
the people for the approval or the
rejection Of their public service.
This is so automatic, so universally
accepted that 1t seems presumptious
to call attention to 1t.
And yet 1t Ia now proposed to
place in the hands of five or at most
nine men greater power than was
ever given to any nine men In the
history of the world and these nine
men are neither selected nor elected
by the people. They will not be
subject to check or control by the
people, And yet these same nine
men are entrusted with such power
that either directly or indirectly, by
authority either expressed or Inn
piled they can commit the American
people to a state of war. In my
opinion the only way to advance the
cause of peace is to bring the power
to declare war nearer to the people.
II had my way would write into
the Constitution of the United States
that in all cases except in cases of
actual invasion no war should be de-
clared without a vote Of the people.
But it is now proposed to remove
still further from the people the
power to say whether or not there
shall be peace or war. The public
voice is to be silenced entirely.
These nine men sitting behind closed
doors in Europe, thousands of miles
from those whom they represent and
in no wise responsible to the people,
may, under the authority granted by
the League, through intrigue or ma
nipulation or express power, cause
the American boy to be sent inc any
cline of Europe or Asia as SOL
der, or had we better say as a po-
liceman for some foreign nation.
I'VE have had some experience
with similar plan. The American
boys have been sent to Russia and !
thousands are now In Siberia. Who p,
sent them there and why were they
sent? We are told by the public |
press that President Wilson did not
want them to go but owing to an un-
Iderstanding or arrangement which we |
had with Japan, England and France |
he finally yielded and the American |
boys are there suffering and dying |
for cause in which we are in no
wise Interested. It is simply legal |
lied murder. And yet this is the |
principle upon which a League Of |
Nations represented by this council |
in no wise responsible to the people |
will work.
I'm Article x of this proposed |
covenant it is provided that we shall |
guarantee against eternal, aggress-
ion the territorial integrity and po-
litical independence Of all members
OF the League. Mr.. Bonar Law |
stated in the House OF Commons a |
few days ago that there are FL wars
now on in Europe. Mr.. Simons, the
famous war correspondent, gives a
list of IS. The New York Times a |
few days ago published list of 16.
1t is safe to say that there are from /
is to 20 wars now going on in Eu-
rope in practically all OF which are
involved the question OF territorial
integrity and political independence.
These nine men, this council of the
League. would have immediate con-
Germ with reference to all these wars.
They would advise what number of
soldiers shall be sent and where
sent to perform our contract under
Article x. and. we having agreed
that the council should advise, would,
be compelled by every sense of honor
and duty to comply with that advice.
The American people can easily
see how much chance their sons
would have acting under the un-
limited discretion of this conclave of
ambassadors sitting in Geneva and
calling upon the young men of