The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-09-13
COAST TO COAST
U. S. FOR LEAGUE
MILLIONS ACCLAIM WILSON AS
HE SPEEDS ACROSS
THE LAND.
FEW ASK FOR CHANGES
Majority Feel That Presidents Guild
ance Should Be Held-He Regards
Pact AS Sure to Come Soon.
(By Mt. Clemens News Bureau)

]
Train-From the Capital at Washing
ton to the far Pacific coast the Presi.
1 dent of the United States has jour
neyed on the most unusual expedition
ever undertaken by chief executive
of the nation.
To discuss national questions, many
presidents have toured the land; but
Mr. Wilson Is laying before America
question which affects the whole
world-the question of whether or not
we are to join in the League of Ma
tions; whether we are to forget our
former isolation and share with the
other peoples of the earth the respon.
sibilities of maintaining civilization
and preventing, as he says we can do,
| future warfare.
Between the capital and the coast
the president made fifteen speeches
and half dozen brief talks. All of
| 100, 900 fellow citizens listened to him.
Several millions had the chance to see
him, and apparently everyone wanted
| to see him, from those who thronged
the streets of the cities and towns
| where he stopped, to those who came
/ to the railside or stood at little flag
stations in remote places, knowing
| their only reward could be fieeting
| glimpse and wave Of the hand
He has met and talked to all types
| Of citizens-to men big in the bust,
ness, financial and professional worlds
| to farmers and mechanical workers
to Indians and cowboys and foreign
born herders and rangers, to soldiers
and to mothers who lost soldier-sons
| in the late war.
What do they all tell him? unani
mously they say they want peacel
definitely settled, they want no morel
wars, they want the League of Ma
| tions, and most of the American PEG
pie, it may be fairly said, tell the
President they want the League just
as it is, without the reservations oil
amendments which certain senators
have insisted upon. The majority OF
citizens say to those who interview
them on this tour:
Woodrow Wilson guided us rightly
| before and during the war with Ger
many. We entered that war, every
! one agrees, to end an wars II e1sayst
| the league can do that. We want tel
do that, so let us keep on trusting hinl
and get the league into operation as
soon as possible. Forget politics"
Most Americans encountered on the
tour have forgotten politics. Repub
lican Governors and Mayors have inl
troduced the President to his audi
ence; the Major part of the local com
mittees which have met him havel
been Republicans They have all said
I'VE are nothing but Americans, Mrl
President"
Mr.. Wilson's arguments for theI
league, briefly summarized, are those:
There can be no peace, either now
or in the future, without 1t. There
can only be regrouping of nationsi
and a new Balance of Power" which
10 certain to lead to war. There canI
be no war in the future. with the
league in existence, because no SINGLE
nation would defy the united rest OF
mankind, and If 1t did, 1t could be
brought to terms by an economic|
boycott, and without the use of arms.
There can be no reduction In the
cost OF living until the league Is es.
tablished, for nations will not gol
ahead with peace time production I'M
til they know that peace Is definitely
assured and that production of war
material is no longer necessary.
There can be wonderful prosperity
with the league in existence, for rel
atoms Of labor and capital all over
the world will be made closer and
more friendly, and the worker will re
ceive a fairer share Of what he pro]
duces
These declaration of the president
logically and eloquently put, have left
his hearers thinking and thinkingl
deeply. And then Mr.: Wilson has
pointed out, the people themselves, as
differentiated from senators and politi
clans, seem to want Just what the
president wants, which Is America for
leadership
quite as unusual as the purpose Of,
the cross country tour is the manner
In which 1t is being carried out and
the completeness of the arranged
ments on the nine car train which il
bearing the party.
AT the rear is the private car May
flower, occupied by the President anf
Mrs Wilson. Next is compartment
car for the secretary Tumulty, AID
miral Grayson, Mr.. Wilson's Physi-
clan, four stenographers, the chief
executive clerk and seven secret SER
vice men, Byond are three compart-
ment cars which house twenty-one
correspondents, five movie men, and
telegraphic and a railroad expert.
Then there is a dinner, club car, and
TWO baggage cars, one Of them con
Verted into a business Office. The
Train was exactly on time at every
s.op between Washington and the