New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Wilson's Doctrine of Self
Determination Made Mock.
cry by Article X, He In.
sists at Carnegie Meeting
Covenant Is Denounced
George Wharton Pepper De-
clares People of Country
Are Largely Opposed to 1t

President Wilson'S doctrine of self
determination "is made mockery" by
Article X of the league of nations
covenant, Senator Hiram w. johnson,
of California, told a gathering that
packed Carnegie Hall last night and
hissed loudly the mention Of England,
newspapers which advocate the cove
nant's ratification. Senator James A.
Reed, of Missouri, and George Whar-
ton Pepper, Of Philadelphia. also de-
nounced the league of nations plan.
The meeting was under the auspi-
ces of the League for the Preserva-
tion of American Independence, of
which Henry Watterson is president,
and was not primarily called to enlist
sentiment for the Irish freedom cause.
But Senator Johnson's reference to the
fact that Article X would make the
United States guarantor of the ter
ritorial integrity of the British En-
pre came near turning the assem-
bage into pro-lrish demonstration.
About $500 men and women, all who
could crowd their way in, occupied
seats in the hall. Nearly as many
more, unable to gain admittance, were
gathered in the street.
= Greeted With Boos and Kisses
an the minds of some newspapers,
like The New York Times and The
New York World,'" said Senator John
son, "it is sin and reproach to be
an American; in the minds of some
newspapers and public men it is worse
than reproach and worse than sin,
and those men that are trying to lift
their voices for the benefit of the ma
tion to them have become anathema."
The boos and Kisses which greeted
Johnson's mention Of "The Times" and
World" were general, but they were
as nothing to the storm of disapproval
that swept over the audience when the
Senator demanded upon what theory
the league covenant gave the British
Empire six votes in the council to one
for America" Ireland he character
ized as "a litgant with perfect case
unable to get hearing"
The next greatest volume of kissing
ensued when Mr.. Pepper, listing the
names Of business men affiliated with
William H. Taft's League to Enforce
Peace, included Dwight P. Morrow,
of j. P. Morgan & Co."
Reed Criticises Covenant
Senator Reeds address was an i'm
passioned criticism of the covenant.
Il refuse" he said, "to enter into
a copartnership with thirty-two ma
tions, not one OF whom in government,
civilization or liberty is the equal of
the United States. / refuse to consent
to any part of the government Of the
United States being taken from the
American people and conferred on the
representatives of any other nation
or combination of nations. | refuse to
enter into any partnership where
America must assume the major por-
tion of the liabilities and collect none
of the dividends. | refuse to consent
to any contract requiring us to send
our boys to die in foreign lands in de-
fence of other countries, in causes in
which we are not concerned and which
may be contrary to the conscience and
policies Of the American people"
Mr. Pepper asserted there we're
three dangerous ext.ios'vcs" in ehr
covenant which should be eliminated
He urged that the international Coun-
Gil be vested with advisory power, in
stead of being "set up as a perpetual
voting trust of nine nations dominated
by five
Calls Tribunal Dangerous
when nations or people are on
edge he said, "it is dangerous to es-
tablish tribunal with power to tell
q sovereign state what it must do"
lie also advocated the substitution of
court with compulsory powers to de-
eide questions of international law in
place of permitting the executive coun-
ell to pass upon them.
Within the proposed league of ma
tons are contained "the germs of many
wars Senator Johnson declared.
ut is not league of nations to
prevent war;" he said. at is a league
of armed nations in gigantic war
trust. In its very creation it had been
stripped Of every idealistic purpose it
ever had. 1t contains within itself the
germs of many wars, and, worse than
that, it rivets, as in the Shantunp de-
cision, the chains of tyranny upon mill
ions of people and cements for all time
unjust and wicked annexations 1t is
trust of existing present power 1t
Will never prevent war. 1t will sanctify
power in a new, terrible and a sin
lister sense"
Article x of the covenant he char
acterized as "the most outrageous thing
thing ever attempted upon America"
Design of the League
If any people with perfect case for
freedom should rebel the advocates of
the league Of nations would enthusi-
astically rush in," said Senator John
son, because this is exactly the design
OF the league. Tomorrow it may be
ireland, aided in small part from the
outside. demanding that of which we
nave made mockery-self- determina-
ton Under our guarantee we must
prevent it,"
If those who wrote the league cove
nant had really wanted to prevent war
'aey would have permitted the men
and the women who must bear the bur
Gems OF war to determine by their vote
whether or not there should be war;
lnen, characteriZing Article X as
the most outrageous thing ever at
tempted upon America" he showed
now the powers in the holy alliance,
acting upon the Infamous doctrine of
intervention devised by Metternich, had,
uhaer their mutual agreement to pro-
.ect each other from external agres-
ss'on, crushed popular uprisings for
freedom in Italy and Spain and re-
stored deposed monarchs to their
s,es snrones of oppression and tyranny.
!,s Inns was done upon Metternich's
Meory that internal revolution might
.ssui' IN external injury and aggres-
How often of late" said the Sena-
.pr' have we heard language convey
.ps me same thought from those who
sie advocating the league Of nations?"
The Question Of immigration
IN regard TO questions like immi-
x'ation, the Senator declared that the
eeNfet tTeaties and agreements be-