Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-06-24


word ana phrase In the AFst draft OF
the covenant which had Deen pun
lished shortly prior to that time an9
that no changes OF any kano cou.u
possibly be made. We were toio' IN"
dsllantly told, that the league woulo
be so closely interviewer with tne
treaty Of peace that 1t could not %
Ldisentangled and that to reject tne
league we would mad ourselves oo-
lieated to reject the treaty.
There was q storm OF indignation
in the country which took tangible
form in the protest signed by ~
Republican Senators. The hrst cove
nant was amended and the amended
covenant comes to US as q. part OF
the treaty Of peace. ] am not going
to discuss the amendments on the
covenant as 1t now stands beyond
saving that to my mind the amend"
ments do not meet the objections
properly raised to tho first covenant
and that regard the covenant IN
its present form as a direct menace
to the interests of the United states
and l cannot consistently with my
views of my duty to my country vote
to ratify a treaty that included
covenant for a League OF Nations
as it now stands.
MIR. President: When the Peace
conference assembled at Paris to
settle the terms Of peace with the
Central Powers, we were entitled 10
be represented by men who would
look after the interests of the Unit
ed States as the representatives OF
all the other countries have looked
after the interests Of their countries
and who would make the best tight
in their power for America and Tor
the traditional policies under which
our country has always existed.
There was no mandate expressed or
implied, given to any one, that these
policies be surrendered. Had we
been so represented and had these
men. after making the best fight in
their power for our Interests and for
the maintenance Of our policies, been
honestly convinced by the united op-
position of the rest Of the Allies that
these policies could no longer be con-
tinued, they might have been jus.
titled in approving the treaty that
they have approved: but they have
made no such fight. In all the long
colloquies that have been held by
| the Peace conference. who has spok-
en- out for the United States, and
for what we as a country have al
ways stood? No single one of all
our delegates. On the contrary. the
President Of the United States, with
his board of dummy delegates chosen
because they would do his bidding
without question. and with the i'm
mense prestige Of our country back
Of him. has used that prestige to
force on an unwilling world a pro-
ject that in its present form violates
every principle and policy of the
country which he was supposed to
represent and to enforce the COM
pletion Of the project. He has sacri-
feed not only the interests of his
country but practically every tenet
which he himself announced before
the armistice. az the basis of the fu-
ture government of the world
With the great position which we
occupied at the time Of the armistice
and which unfortunately web ave in
large part lost through our persist
ent interference in the affairs Of Eur
ope. no country on earth would have
dreamed Of insisting on any forfeit-
ure Of our American rights.
Mr.. President, as have said once
before on the floor Of this Senate, the
trouble with President Wilson is that
| his ideals and policies are not the
ideals and iolicies Of the American
people. He has told US repeatedly
that our fight against the Central
Powers was great crusade for
democracy and humanity, ana we
have not challenged the statement
because it sounded we'll and because
we thought that the statement would
no no harm. But it has done harm.
infinite harm. He has persistently
gone ahead with this idea in his
mind and the fruits Of this ideal and
it's working out are the present COW
enant of tho League Of Nations. to
accept which he IL seeking to force
the American people.
| Mr.. President, I have never be-
lieved or taken stock in the talk we
hear so much of, that we went to
war with Germany primarily to fight
for democracy and humanity and
the rights Of the rest Of the world.
AZ have already said. we went in
to the war because we believed that
our country was directly menaced by
the German empire. We believed
that victorious Germany or even
an unwhipped Germany meant a fu-
ture conflict for US. or II not an ac-
tual conflict. at least 1t meant the
turning Of our country into an armed
camp to protect ourselves against
the German menace. We went in
for the specific purpose Of whipping
Germany. and by the grace Of God
we have done our job. We have de-
stroyed or contributed to destroy the
danger from Germany for at least
many years to come, and as our job
| in the war was to free ourselves from
this danger. SO our Job is now to
make such peace that we shall not
be threatened by it's repetition IN
the future. AS a return for the sac
rifice Of blood and treasure that we
have made In the war, we should Sc
cure as far as possible immunity in
the future. The balance is all on
our side. We should be paid for
what we have done by advantages
that will accrue to us and not by
continued demands for more sacri.
fioes on our part.
| The covenant is now. or shortly
will be. before a body Of Americans