The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-01-09
Speech of Senator
Borah
fContinued from Page 81

Senator will allow me, incidentally
with the interrogation OF the Senator
from Montana, / ask the Senator from
Idaho il he will assume a condition
where such a league as Is now pro-
posed did exist and assume that
had existed at the time that Germany
started out upon her course OF war
Does the Senator from Idaho assume
that Germany would have emboldeneo
herself in the undertaking that she ala
had she been conscious that there was
a league of which she was a melnpef
that would have then ostracized her
from commercial opportunity and pun
ished her with such restrictions as
they could apply. as well as met her
with combined armies? In other words,
IL the purpose of this league, as he I'M
aerstands It, were really in existence
and had been in existence at the time
Germany started out, and she was
member. does the Senator assume that
she would have assumed to do the
things that she did in the face OF the
penalties that this league could nave
inflicted?
MR.. BORAH. OF course, Mr.. Presl-
dent. had she entertained the same
opinion under the conditions which The
Senator names that she did entertain
when she entered upon this war
that she could conquer and dominate
the world-she undoubtedly would
have utterly disregarded any league or
any combination Of people against
her 1t Is all question of state OF
mind, of what the German people
thought, and 1t would be so in every
instance. Germany undoubtedly
thought she was strong enough to win
against all possible corners. So be-
lieving she would have disregarded the
mandates of league.
Mr.. LEWIS. Is the senator, how
ever of the judgment that If we had
the organization In existence as he
understands it is proposed from GER
tain sources, Germany then would
have felt herself able to meet and
dominate It. when 1t had concentrat-
ed organization that could confront
her?
MR.. BORAH. OF course, if Ger
many had thought that there was an
organization of sufficient strength to
have prevented her from accomplish
ing her purposes, she undoubtedly
would not have entered into 1t; but
she did not think that at the time she
entered into this war.
MIR. LEWIS. Truly.
MIR. BORAH She thought she
could control the situation. Now, IL
there had been league Of nations
instead Of Germany preparing for this
war as she did, for about 40 years, she
might have taken 10 years longer, In
order to make more thorough pre-
paration to have met larger COM
bination against her. and, further
more, she might have secretly hao
much support inside the league. You
must bear in mind this proposition, II
we interpret the situation correctly
that the German people, led by their
leaders, not only believed that they
were capable of dominating the world
but they believed that it was theii
duty to impose upon the world theil
theory and conception of civilization.
MR. LEWIS. Yes.
MIR. BORAH. That being true
there is no league or combination OF
nations that you could conceive OF
that would put down such nation
and let me tell you another thlhs'
There we come to another very Vita
proposition.
Suppose nation, as member OF
this league, comes to the conclusion
that 1t must accomplish certain
thing as a people-acquire larger I'D
erty. greater freedom, expansion OF
territory--and that its life Is inVoiVee
In such a movement, and the league
decides that it must not do H. VIVA
kind of a people but slaves would SUP
mt TO the uOiiilAotioh Va
lion. prescribing and bounding theh
growth and their development? 1ot
propose to erect by this league eu'
reaucratic system beyond the concep'
ton of the human mind heretofore tt
determine when nations shall move
when they shall grow, how they sinai
prosper, and how they shall expand
MR.. Lewis, May i not ask tht
senator il his very illustration does
not demonstrate this: On that the,
ory. then, the ruling of the supreme
court of the United States that de-
limits the barrier between Costa Rica
and her neighbor. lately In conflict
would be utterly useless, for they
would then say, as self-respectine
people, how could they consent to ac'
cent such fate that was against
them? Would not that naturally FOL
low
MR.. BoRAH. Just that might fol-
low.
MIR. Lewis. Does not my eminent
friend admit that If 1t is applicable al
all in one case 1t is applicable in the
other?
N1r, T2opAH Rut this is absolute