New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-02-28
IS WARY On
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Thinks Europe Would Be Chief
Beneficiary Under Scheme
SEES NO PEACE ASSURANCE
O. Republican Leader Thinks Plan As
Drawn Up, Would Engendcr Mis-
poses Many Amendments.

understandings and Strifc-Pro-
poses Many Amendments.
Washington, Feb. Ex-senator
Lodge of Massachusetts solemnlN
warned the American people today to
weigh carefully the constitution Oh
the league of nations as presented 10
s@thc peace conference at Paris ana 20
insist upon it's fundamental reV1sloh
Speaking in the senate, the repup-
1ican floor leader declared his conNlc-
tion that instead of safeguarding the
peace of the world, the league as now
planned would engender mlsunder-
standings and strife.
Sees Only European Benefit.
Delivering his first public utter
ance on he subject since the conStl-
\, tuition became public. the Massachu-
u sets senator vigorously opposed the
V plan and made specific recommends
tions for amendment He declared
that as now drafted, the constitution
would contraVene the Monroe doc
trine, strike at American sovereignty,
involve America in all foreign dis
putes, substitute internationalism for
nationalism and be OF benefit princi-
palIy to Europe.
Expressing complete sympathy with
the popular demand and efforts to-
ward an agreement for world peace,
Senator Lodge said he was not pre-
pared to say that there could not be
Il concert of nations to safeguard
against war, but he insisted that the
agreement for such a concert should
= be drawn up calmly and deliberately
when the world was at peace, and not
hastily when war still existed.
Urges Calm Dclibcration.
Senator Lodge who is expected to
be chairman of the powerful foreign
relations committee in the next sem
ate which will act Oh the peace
treaty and any plan for q league Of
. nations, was given close attention by
senator's and crowded galleries. He
urged that the nation think we'll be-
fore departing from the policies of
Washington and said the paramount
duty now was to conclude peace
with Germany.
Sees New German Menace.
Much time has Beefts seSstsfpd, he
said. The delays have bred restless
ness and confusion everywhere. Ger
many is lifting her head again. The
q Uhimpcring after defeat is changing
to threats She is seeking to annex
nine millions of Germans in German
Austria. She is reaching out in Rus
sia and reNiving her financial and
comm ercial penetration everywhere.
Germany is again threatening and the
only source of a great war is to be
found for the future, as for the past,
, in Germany. She should be chained
and fettered now and this menace TO
world peace removed"
The senator said that while in the
interest of peace it might be neces-
sary to abandon the Monroe Doc
trine, the policies of Washington and
other principles of Americanism, the
nation should reflect and hesitate be-
. fore it acts.
There is an issue involved in the
league constitution presented to us
which overshadoWs all Others" said
Senator Lodge. I'VE are asked to de-
part now for the first time from the
foreign policies of Washington. We
are invited to move away from George
Washington toward the other end of
; the line at which stands the sinister
figure of Trotzky, the champion of
internationa1ism.
Fears For the Future.
I'VE have in this country gov
pie and by the people, the freest and
best government in the world, and
we are the great rampant today
y against the anarchy and disorder
which have taken possession of Rus
sia and are trying to invade every
other peaceful country in the world.
For Lincoln's government of the peo-
pie, for the people and by the people,
we are asked to substitute in the
United States on many vital points
government of, for, and by other peo-
pie. Pause and consider we'll before
You take this fateful step.
We must build no bridges across
the chasm which now separates
American freedom and order from
Russian anarchy and destruction. We
must see to it that the democracy of
the United States which has pros
pered so nightly in the past is not
drawn by any hasty error or by any
gIittering delusions, through specious
devices of supernatural government
within the tolls of international So
cialism and anarchy"
Amendments Proposed.
Amendments proposed by Senator
Lodge included a specific provision
excluding the Monroe Doctrine from
the leagues purview. This, he said,
- could be done in three lines. Immi-
grafton and other internal and domcs-
tic questions and those vital to ma
tonal existence also should be eX-
cluded from the leagues jurisdiction,
he said, adding:
There should be some definite pro-
vision for peaceful withdrawal from
the league Of any nation that desires
TO withdraw.
Let us have q definite statement
= as to whether the league is to have