Charlevoix county herald., 1919-07-18
EAST JORDAN. MICHIGAN FRIDAY. JULY
RHETORIC WITHOUT FACTS

Washington, July 1.-THE Republi--
can Publicity Association, through its
President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.,
today gave out the following statement
from its Washington Headquarters:
"Keyed up to a high pitch OF interest
at the prospect Of receiving at last from
the hand of the President some con-
crete facts in support of the peace
treaty, and some tangible reasons why
the United States should foresake its
traditional policies and adopt the league
covenant, the people have sunk back
once more into their habitual condition
of hOpelessness of ever hearing from
the president single definite, unequi-
vocal statement of our foreign policy
of the future. Like all of his previous
addresses dealing with the league and
treaty, Mr.. Wilson's speech to the Sem
ate was utterly devoid Of anything in
the nature of specific argument His
remarks were merely a flow OF beauti-
ful language, a collection OF empty
platitudes, and monotonous- repeti-
ton OF the Wilsonian conception OF
Americas duty toward humanity
"Mr. Wilson began his speech by
clothing in new words his frequently
emphasized declaration that we did not
60 to war because Of anything that con-
cerned the United States particularly,
but that our victorious. army was in
spired by its love for humanity lin
general. His closing paragraph practi-
cally asserted that he was the agent of
Divinity in framing the league of ma
tons and regulating the future of the
world. The stage is set, he declared,
the destiny disclosed. It has come
about by no plan Of our conceiving,
but by the hand Of God who led US in
to this way In the Declaration of In
dependence the forefathers proclaimed
that We had been endowed by our
Creator with liberty. Can it be that
that same Creator purposes now to use
Mr.. Wilson as His agency In depriving
US Of that liberty?
$50 insistent is the President on i'm
pressing upon his countrymen his con-
ception of what brought us into the
war that he repeated again and again
throughout this remarkable address
that it was the woes of humanity that
goaded US to fight, and distinctly re-
pudiated the idea that German aegres-
sion upon the United States had any
thing to do with it. We entered it,
said he, mot because our material in
terests were directly threatened And
again, We entered the war as the dis.
interested champions Of right and we
interested ourselves in the terms Of
peace in no other capacity And yet
again, 1T was universally recognized
that America had entered the war to
promote no private or peculiar interest
Of her own, but only as the champion
of rights which she was glad to share
with free men and lovers of justice
everywhere Where is the American
whose blood does not boil at such state
ments, bad enough when coming from
the ordinary citizen, but far worse
when uttered by the man whom our
Constitution placed at the head Of our
armies?
"And touch of amusement was not
lacking. When the President soberly
remarked that You have been daily
cognizant OF what was going on there
of the problems with which the peace
conference had to deal, it was hard for
his hearers to repress their smiles when
they remembered The complete censor
ship that had denied Senators knowl-
edge Of the treaty, although copies OF
it were in the hands OF the Presidents
personal friends in Wall Street weeks
before.
"Taken as whole the speech was .
huge disappointment, but in that re-
spect precisely like all the other utter
ances of Mr.. Wilson. II the utter lack
of any definite information conveyed
in II is an indication of the character Of
his remarks on his tour OF the country,
the people have in store for them q
free course in English rhetoric, but of
the league of nations and its effect up
on America they will learn nothing. II
remains for the Senate to enlighten
them on that subject"