The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-25

| sioh 40 great that the United states Will
become an outlaw II she fails to live up
to the mandates of the league. The
President argues, on the one hand, that
there lie nothing in the league to impair
the constitutional Congress-; then he
states that Congfess-the Government
will be under such moral suasion as must
be obeyed or else the United States must
accept the shameful and degraded status
Of a coward and betrayer.
| AS has been said Il took time for the
people to compare the conflicting asser-
tions and to comprehend that Mr.. Wilson
was facing two ways. In their simple
direct way of getting at the truth the
/ people finally came to the conclusion
That the President was promising one
| thing. the preservation OF American SOW
ereignty,> and playing upon their hopes
and fears to induce them to bind the
country to exactly the opposite thing
American subordination of the super
state. In the same simply direct way
the people came 20 the conclusion that II
the President was honest in his first as
sertion then there could be no objection
I to few reservations and amendments,
especially Article X. which would leave
nothing to doubt (or surmise.
People Saw Gold Brick.
When the President in speeches after
speeches declined to have a word of
Article x. changed, when he insisted.
as he did last night in Salt Lake City.
that to alter Article X by reservations
meant to kill the treaty absolutely. they
discerned in disappointment and in ac-
tual resentment that efforts were being
made TO befool and delude them with
words. They made up their minds that
an attempt was being made to sell
them the most glittering gold brick
history of the world.
| In his speeches at Reno, Salt Lake
| City and here, he has contended that
under League of Nations there would
| be no legal compulsion upon the United
| states to go to war. to enter into an
! international boycotting arrangement or
| to do anything else demanded by the
league, no legal compulsion whatever
| He has sought to make the people be-
| lieve that II the Government or IL Con-
| grees is dissatisfied with any mandate
or request submitted to 1t by the coune
Gil of the league, no action need be
| taken
| But on the other hand he has en-
phasized the moral compulsion to ba
exerted by the league and has asserted
! that shame and isolation will be this
country's portion II Government or Con-
/ gress seeks to abide by its legal rights
4
| pulsion to be exerted by "the judgment
of mankind"
The President says we don't have to
\ do anything required by the league, but
that II we don't do everything demanded
we shall be damned by the opinion of
mankind. our trade will be ruined, we
will be the parlahs Of earth and civiliza-
ton will break down in an explosion of
revolution.
NJ Hale.
! exposed last night. He went to the
meeting in the Mormon Tabernacle es-
| ccrted by few admiring Mormon patri-
archs bitter against the new group of
enators-Democrats- have de-
clarcd for reservations. He caused a
| hint to be circulated before the meeting
that speech of unusual Importance was
to be expected. and the suggestion was
conveyed that he was going to skin the
recalcitrant SENATOR'S and nail their
pelts to the wall of Brigham Young s
| meeting house. He did nothing of the
Sort He started by clenching his fists
| and ended by swapping his fingers. He
was angry. but he caught himself With
prudent reluctance and uttered an ap-
peal to the Senators to come back into
the fold rather than threat against
| item. Z.
1t is true that he conveyed a de-
| permitted themselves to become the
tools Of revived pro-German propaganda
in the United States.
Interjects a ReDuke.
1t was the reservation proposed for
| Article X. that exposed his real de-
termination to force the United States
to accept subordination within a super
| state. He quoted the phrases of the
reservation. When a large portion OF
his audience enthusiastically applauded
that part which states that the military
| forces of the United States shall not
be employed under any~article of the
| treaty unless Congress consents, he in
terjected this rebuke:
| wait a minute; II you want to ap-
plaud that, wadt till you understand
the meaning of it. II you have got a
| knife in your hand with which you in
| tend to cut out the heart of this COW
enant, applaud but II you want this
! covenant to have a heart in 1t, IL you
| want it to have a purpose In 1t. II
| you want it to be something subscribed
| to by a redblooded nation, withhold
your applause. Understand this thing
| before you form your sentiment in re-
gard to it. This is an absolute refusal
to carry any part of the same re-
| sponsibility that the other members Of
| the league carry"
A few minutes later he permitted him
| self to state again: Nothing can be
done under that article of the treaty
without the consent OF the United States.
challenge them to draw any other
deduction from the provisions OF the
covenant itself"
And presently. employing a favorite
| manner Of asserting directly the op.
| posite of what he had just asserted. he
said:
There is no force to obllge the United
States to do anything. except moral
force. Is any man. any proud Ameri-
can. afraid that the United States will
resist the duress of duty. 1t Is a test
an acid test Are you willing to go
into the great adventure of liberating
hundreds OF millions of human beings
from the thrall of foreign power2 II
you are timid can assure you you
can do It without shedding, a drop of
human blood. II you are squeamish
about fighting 1 will tell you you will
not have to fight"
This was the moral compulsion," the
Irresistible moral compulsion, 80 distinct
from legal suasion, that he talked about
in San Francisco and Los Angeles; a
power stronger than the will Of Con-
gress or the worn out provisions of the
American Constitution. The President
states in one breath that article X. re-
quires 81 the United States not a whit
more than the reservation he objects
to would apply. yet he displays anger
OF the suggestion that the meaning Of
article X. shall be clarified by the reser-