Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-03-13
ANlI-LEAGUERS
FRAME BILL FOR
A REFERENDUM
Borah Expresses View That Adyo-
Gates Would Not Dare
Oppose Move.
STRONG ADVERSE SENTIMENT
Norris Joins Opposition. Bryan is
Favorable to Idea. Cum
mings Urges Support.

Washington, d. C.-Determined to
get an accurate and unmistakable ex
preston of American public sentf
ment on the League of Nations, Sen.
ator w. E. Borah of Idaho announced
today that a bill for nationwide
popular referendum on the proposed,
covenant would be drafted for intro
duction Immediately upon the recon
Vening of congress.
:; The senator expressed the view that
advocates of the League of Nations
would not dare oppose the bill. He
pointed out that the people have not
thus far been permitted to vote on
the question Of a League of Nations.
If the advocates of the league were
to oppose the proposed plebiscite, he
declared, they would be placed in the
position of fearing to submit the lea
que to a decision of the people.
Senate Ready for Open Covenants
Senator Borah also gave it as his
opinion that th ,nate stands ready
to abandon the tradition policy of
considering treaties in secret session
and throw the doors wide openlto the
public when the treaty containing the
League of Naions reaches the capitol.
There already has been to- much Sc,
-stecy in the preparation OF tile treaty.
he declared, and predicted the Ameri.
can people would not tolerate secret
diplomacy in the senate.
Sees Sentiment Against League
The Idaho senator returned to
Washington yesterday after a speech,
making tour against the League of
Nations through the east. He was
elated with the receptions he received
in New York and Boston, and reiterat-
ed his belief that the trend OF public
sentiment now was running strongly
against the league. He predicted the
sentiment would be as strongly against
the league within a few weeks as it
apparently was for it 10 days ago.
Sees Failure in Any League
Senator Borah declared his belief
hat any League of Nations is destin-
ed to failure.
The people are unable to distin-
guish between a league of nations and
the League of Nations, he said.
And when it is made clear to them
that this means uEtold sacrifice on
their part without the least assurance
that it will prevent war, but, on the
contrary, promote it, they are going to
be against all leagues.
The greatest thing that confronts
the republican party right now is that
It may seek to compromise on this
question. II it does, the party will
n destroy itself. What the people de-
mand is an immediate peace with.
drawal from Europe and European
affairs
Norris Joins Opposition
The opposition has won a new con
vert in the senate in the person OF
Senator Norris, republican, of Nebras-
ka. Norris declined to sign the pledge
to support the Lodge resolution and
able proponent Of the league.
Although he voted against war and
has been characterized as a pacifist.
Senator Norris, in an open letter to a
constituent, today declared that the
I proposed constitution has provisions in
it that are dangerous !,
II think. he wrote, I'VE ought to
take the world as it is, and not as we
would like to have it. 1t seems there.
fore, inadvisable to me to enter into
any agreement that would make il
necessary for US or any other nation
to maintain standing armies Cor the
support Of new and Independent gov
ernnents that it is intended to estab.
lish among semicivilized people. Such
q course is not only dangerous
j viii, In my Judgment, bring failure to
that part Of the enterprise, but It is in
no sense necessary TO maintain the
peace Of the world, :
New Turn in Fight
The fight raging about the League
of Nations covenant took a new tsirr
4 today.
Opponents of the idea viii Try e
amend out of the treaty the applica
tion of the league, f # ~ ernbDdied y
tiaa peace covenant when II cohles M
Contiasied 81 pare -