The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-09-25
LEAGUE IS ABOVE
PARTY POLITICS
REPUBLICANS IN MIDDLE WEST
TELL WILSON THEY ARE
FOR THE PACT.
WANT PEACE AND BUSINESS
Americans of All Political Shades,
President Finds, Are With Him
In This Fight.

L.
st. Paul, Mimi, Sept. 9.-As he Is
about to start toward the great North
west in his 10O0O-mile swing around
the country, President Wilson is more
convinced than ever that the people OF
America want the League of Nations,
and that they are almost unanimous,
regardless of party, in wanting II just
as 1t is now framed, without reserya-
lions or amendments.
Republican st. Louis and ultra-Re-
publican Des M0ines, proved to him
that no matter what the senatorial
representatives of Missouri and Iowa
might say of this league, the citizens
of those states were for it. They did
not hesitate to tell him SO In plain
words. The same was the case up
through friendly Nebraska and then
here in friendly South Dakota.
Party politics are not at stake.
The people want permanent peace, and
want to settle down to business again.
Let us have the League and as quickly
US possible"
So far as an impartial observer ac-
companying the President can decide,
those are the sentiments of the vast
majority of Americans, no matter what
their party allegiance.
The weekend stay at Des Moines,
which is as clean, healthy and wide
awake a city as can be found any
where in the land, enabled Mr.. Wilson
and his companions to form clear
judgment as to how the average Amer
lean regards the League.
The county of Polk, in which the
Iowa capital is located is the strongest
Republican county in the United States.
Year after year the percentage Of
ballots cast for the G. 0. z. Is greater
than anywhere else. The city voted
strongly against Mr.. Wilson In both
his candidates., of a committee of sew
en- leading citizens who greeted him
upon his arrival in Des Moines, five
were Republicans, but they all said:
In this matter we are for you, Mr..
President. We are neither Democrats
nor Republicans. We are Americans.
We gave you job to do and you did
1t. Now it is up to us to help you see
1t through"
Many observers on this long tour
wondered, as it began: "How much Of
this applause and how many Of these
splendid turnouts of citizens are for
Woodrow Wilson just because he Is
president, and how much because Of
the thing he represents, the League"
An answer was quickly forthcom-
ing, and it was this: 'The people are
honorng the President for what he has
accomplished and are sincerely encour-
aging him in his fight for the League,
and they want no distractions In the
way of the ratification Of that cove
nant" The greatest applause Mr. Will
son has won anywhere has been when
he detied the opposing senators to pro-
duce substitute for the League as
now constituted, and told them to put
up or shut up" and again when he said
that If they failed to ratify the treaty
they were "contemptuous cutters"
who "scuttled and run" when the mo-
ment came to make good on Americas
war premises.
The hearers of these remarks liter
ally leaped to their feet and roared
approval.
Then there have been closer, more
intimate sentiments voiced by indivd-
uals Fathers and mothers who lost
sons in the war have spoken up to the
President at rear platform greetings
and wished him success in his efforts
to prevent wars which would take still
other lives.
The Presidents arguments in favor
Of the League and his answers to the
objections raised by those who oppose
it have all seemed clear and logical to
his audiences.
TO the contention that American sol.
dierS might some time have to fight
for the benefit of some obscure Euro.
pean country, Mr., Wilson has pointed
oat that under the League any war in
the future was the remo;est sort of
possibility
First, he has pointed out, all the
mpmbers agree either to arbitrate and
accept the arbitrators decision. or to
discuss their differences with the
Council of the League for period of
six months. If no settlement is reached
then the contesting nations must wait
three months longer before going to
war, Such a cooling off" period Of
nine months, the President argues,
would almost inevitably prevent war,
and if nation, he argues, refuses
either to arbitrate or discuss its at.
fairs it will be outlawed and ecanom-
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