The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-09-12

| uueSL'1n to discussion by the u
Of The League of Nations, in which
case they will allow six months for
the discussion, and engage not to go
to war until three months after the
council has announced its opinion upon
the subject under dispute.
$50 that the heart of the covenant
of the league lis that the nations
solcmnly covenant not TO go to wal
for nine months after a controversy
becomes acute"
Defends Article K.
Later, taking up article Y, he said:
you have heard a great deal ABOUT
article Y of the covenant OF the
League of Nations. Article y speaks
the conscience Of the world. Article
Y is the article which goes 10 Inc
heart Of this whole bad business, FOR
that article says that the members
OF this league-and that is intended
TO be all the great nations OF the
world-engage TO resist and preserve
against all external aggression the
territorial integrity and political IN
dependence of the nations concerned.
THAT promise is necessary in order
| to prevent this sort of war recurring
and we are absolutely ~discredlted II
we fought this war and then neglect
the essential safeguard against II.
1--WE Engage, in the first sentence or
article Y, to respect and preserve from
external aggression the territorial IN
| tegrity and the existing political indie
| p~endence, not only of the other mem
Der states, but of all states, ana II any
member of the league disregards that
promise, then what happens?
"The council of the league advises
what should be done TO enforce the
| respect for that covenant, on the part
Of the nation attempting to ola IT.
And there is no ~cOmpulsion upon us
to take that advice-eXcept the COM
pulsion of our good conscience and
Judgment.
80 that 1t is perfectly evident that
if, I'm the judgment Of the people or
the United States. the council ad-
Judged this was not an occasion Tor
the use Of force, there would be no
necessity on the part of the congress
Of the United States to vote the use
Of force. But there could be no advice
Of the council on any such subject,
without q unanimous vote, n the
unanimous vote would include u
own"
Force Of Economic Boycott. .
The president called attention TO
the provisions in the treaty for an ab-
solute economic boycott of recalci-
trant nations and predicted the com
plete efficacy Of such action, cOntinu-
ing:
Il dare say that some Of those ideas
are new to YOU, because it is true, as
| said this forenoon. in Columbus, that
apparently nobody has taken the pains
TO say what IS in the covenant of the
League of Nations.
They have discussed three-chiefiy
three-Out Of twenty-six articles, ana
the other articles contain he heart
Of the matter; that instead Of war
there shall be arbitration instead Of
war there shall be discussion; instead
Of war there shall be the closure OF
intercourse; that instead of war there
shall be the irresistible pressure of the
opinion of all mankind.
81 am arguing this thing with you,
my fellow citizens, as if | had any
doubt Of what the verdict Of the Amer
lean people would be. / haven't the
slightest doubt. l just wanted to have
the pleasure of pointing out to you
how absolutely ignorant Of the treaty,
and Of the covenant, some of the men
are who have been opposing 1T.
IF they do read the English Ian
| guage they do not understand the Eng
lish language as / understand 1T. II
they have really read this treaty and
this they only amaze me by
their inability to understand what is
plainly expressed. SO that my errand
upon this journey is not to argue these
matters, but to recall you to the real
issues which are involved"
Touches on Irish Question.
Abiding evidently to the Irish ques-
ton, Mr.. Wilson said:
81 want you to notice another inter-
eSting point that has never been di-
lated upon in connection with the
League of Nations. l am now tread
ing upon delicate ground and must
express myself with caution.
There were a good many delega-
tons that visited Paris waiting to be
heard by the peace conference who
had real causes to present and which
ought to be presented TO the view of
the world.
But we had to point out to them
that they did not happen, unfortunate
ly, to come within the area of settle
ment: that their questions were no
questions which were necessarily
drawn into the things that WI were
IT therefore want to call your atten'
ton. If you will turn 1t up when you
60 home, to article XII, following arti'
Gle X Of the covenant Of the League