The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-03-08
NOT MUCH DANGER
PEACE TREATY WILL
FAIL, SAYS TAFT
Ell President Thinks Round
Robin Singers Would
Not Dare Defeat It.
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD
Declares He Believes Lea
que Constitution Will
Be Changed,
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD

Former President William Howard
TAFT talked to oil tho people tho Grand
theatre would hold last night about
tho League Of Nations IN much the
same way good lawyer representing
q cauBo he lB convinced Ii Just would
talk 10 q Jury In whose intelligence
and fairness no had absolute conf.
dsnca. Ho mentioned during the
course OF his remarks that he has
lived with the question OF q peace
league for seven years and Il ID eYs-
dent that he has got to the point
whore no can discuss II from any
angle dlspsEg'ouateiy and with per-
feet good hum9F,
Fer thoss people who have been
following the discussion OF the Peace
League matter the part Of the lecture
last night that carried the most In
terest was Judge Taft'H analysis OF the
strsgetically unfavorabia position the
senators who signed the se-called
Round Robin have maneuvered them
from the way he told 1t as from the
words that he used that he does mol
attack much slgnlfiqapee to the I'm.
piled threat In the Round Robin that
the treaty will be defeated Ii It Is
laid before the senate with the con,
stitution OF league Of nations writ
ten Into It,
Judge Taft believes firmly that
there can be no peace unless there Is
q league Of nations and that the peace
Congress ID wise to take ali the time
required to make such an agreement
b part Of the treaty. Then when the
treaty comes bach and ts presented
the senators who have been ertieEing
Mi, Wilson and the peace congress
for delays will be placed in the posi-
tion Of either accepting the treaty or
taking the responsibility OF further
prolonging q state OF war which thtN
have complained about,
The league OF nations constitution
as 1t was originally drawn IN does
not have the unqualified endorsement
of Judge Taft, There hre several
points upon which he thinks it should
be improved, such, for instance, as a
cleare, statement Of the right OF the
United States to retain the control
oyer the affairs OF this hemisphere
which 1t has long asserted In the Men
roe doctrine has no doubt, howeevr,
that suggestiuns along that line viii
bear fruit at the Paris conference be-
Tore the league scheme takes It's final
fern.
Judge Taft spoke at length on the
objections which Srembers of the
Senate offered to this league. He en-
deavored to answer constitutional ob.
3getiens tnd tried to show that the
Monroe ptcdine would not be Inter
fsred With Al the least by such d
league. He rather felt that Europe
merely wanted us in the league 10
serye as pftJtuen to her and woMd
be very willing FOR US TO run our own
affairs over here. He believed that
unless such league were foSmed Ia
direct aah nabreaaqb4e connection
with the treaty OF peace, the time
would come wheA war again would
wipe cut most Of humanity. he
spoke particularly of the ever grow
Ing war equipment of the constantly
more terrible means OF killing the
human race and OF the frightfulness
which awaited, lurking even now in
! Beisheyism which Is on the increase
Id Europe and which might easily
teoatlnued on page eighty