The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1919-03-13
SAYS AMERICA
FAV0RS LEAGUE
Wilson Declares That Is Message
He Will Carry Back to Peace
Conference.
CRITICS ARE IMpuGNtD
President Warns Opponents That
World Will 0verwhelm Them
Washington Would Favor
League, Says Taft.

Washington Would Favor
League, Says Taft.
New York, March 5.-President Will
son in his speech here just before his
departure for France said:
THE first thing that I am going to
tell the people on the other side of the
water is that an overwhelming major
ity of the American people is in favor
of the league of nations. know that
that is true l have had unm1stak-
able limitations of it from all parts
OF the country, and the voice rings
true in every case. count myself for
tunate to speak here under the unus-
ual circumstances of this evening. /
am happy to associate myself with
Mr.. Taft in this great cause. He has
displayed an elevation of view and a
devotion to public duty which is be-
You'd praise.
League Not a Party Issue.
And am the more happy because
this means that this is not party 1s-
sue. No party has the right to appro
pirate this issue and no party will In
the long run dare oppose it.
1--WE have listened to SO clear and
admirable an exposition of many OF
the main features of the proposed COW
enant of the league of nations that 1t
Is perhaps not necessary for me to
discuss in any particular way the con-
tents of the document. will seek
rather to give you its setting. do
not know when l have been more i'm
| pressed than by the conferences OF
the commission set up by the confer
ence Of peace to draw up a covenant
for the league of nations. The repre-
sentatives of IA nations sat around
that board-not young men, not men
inexperienced in the affairs OF their
own countries, not men inexperienced
in the politics of the world, and the
inspiring influences of every meeting
was the concurrence of purpose on the
part of all those men to come to an
agreement and an effective working
agreement with regard to this league
of the civilized world.
Conviction In Whole Impulse.
There was a conviction in the
whole impulse; there was conviction
| of more than one sort; there was the
conviction that this thing ought to be
done and there was also the convic'
| ton that not a man there would ven
ture to 60 home and say that he had
not tried to do 1t.
1T is one of the agreements Of this
covenant that 1t is the friendly right
of every nation member of the
league to call attention to anything
that it thinks will disturb the peace
of the world, no matter where that
thing is occurring.
There is no subject that may touch
the peace of the world WHICH is ex'
! empt from inquiry and discussion and
think everybody here present will
| agree with me that Germany would
never have gone to war If she had
permitted the world to discuss the ag
erosion upon Serbia for a single
week.
Opponents Held Lacking in Vision.
my friend, wish you would reflect
on this proposition. The vision as tc
what Is necessary for great reforms has
seldom come from the top in the ma
lions of the world. 1t has come from
the need and the aspiration and the
self-assertion Of great bodies of mer
| who meant to be free. And can ex
plain some of the criticisms which
have been leveled against this grea
enterprise only by the supposition tha
the men who utter the criticisms have
never felt the great pulse Of the hear
of the world.
And I am amazed-not alarmed
but amazed that there should be II
some quarters such a comprehensive is
norance of the state of the world
These gentlemen do not know what thu
mind of men Is, just now. Everybod!
else does. I do not know where the!
have been closeted, do not know b.
what influences they have been blind
ed; but do know that they have bee1
separated from the general currents
the thought Of mankind.
Uters Solemn Warning.
"And want to utter this solem
warning, not In the way of q threa
the forces of the world do not threa,
en-. they operate. The great tides
the world do not give notice that the
are going to rise and run; they ris
In their majesty and overwhelmin
might and those who stand in the wa
are overwhelmed. Now the heart {
the world il awake and the heart {
the world must be satisfied. Do nc
let yourselves suppose for a momen
that the uneasiness In the population