Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-31
League Wins in Poll
Here Nearly 2 to I
Continued from PAGE One

the vote as canvaesed and the vote
which resulted from the ballots sent to
this paper. Where the former shows
majority for the proponents Of the
| league of nations plan, the latter gives
them veritable landslide.
One explanation of the one-sided
vote resulting from the count Of bal
lots is in the activity of the advocates
of the league. Resolutions containing
from ten to twenty names. advocating
| the present plan. were received in al
most every mail. There was but
single instance where the opponents
of the plan resorted TO this method of
voting.
The second point OF interest lies in
! the reasons given by advocates and
| opponents OF the plan.
/ Whenever a man opposed the plan he
| had n definite reason for so doing. The
number of those against the league who
cast their votes because they were good
Republicans" or because they would
back Lodge and Knox against Wilson"
was negligible. The two reasons. upon
which they laid stress was the possible
threat to the Monroe Doctrine included
| in the proposed league and skeptcsm
as to the motives of European powers
Objections OF Business Men
Another source of opposition was
| among business men having to do with
| foreign trade. Many of these men we're
| opposed to pretty nearly everything the
government has done in connection with
| the Peace Conference. They see in the
establishment of an international peace
agreement the beginnings of direct
| blow at the foreign commerce for Amer
| ican ships which the United States is
| trying to rebuild after generations OF
| neglect" They have visions of secret
agreement between European nations at
the expense OF the United States: OF dis
! elimination against American products
! and other commercial disasters. They
deny that the average citizen has had
the slightest opportunity to resly learn
what the league of nations means. and
they place the blame for this on the
committee on public information for the
censorship which, they say, has kept the
! truth from the west side OF the Atlantic
| There is third group of opponents
| Gin which may be included a number of
people Of Celtic origin) who view the
! league of nations with the same air that
| a hen might view an Easter egg They
consider 1t camouflage. They reason
something like this:
president Wilson's fourteen points
were agreed to by the Allies in the be-
ginning Since then they have been sys-
tematicaly killed off. Open diplomacy,
has become a tragic Jest The freedom
of little nations is in the same category.
The right of self-determination is moth
ing but a phrase. Even the original
terms to Germany are being made harsh
er. With these violations of the Presi-
dents fourteen points already a matter
of record what assurance has the United
states that European powers will re-
gard a league of nations as anything
more than a scrap OF paper to be recog-
nized as long as its observance means
self-advancement."
Biggest Question in Mind
|, In spite OF the stress laid by public
, men who opposed the plan on the loose
phraseology" of the league of nations
! covenant there was comparatively little
complaint offered by opponents OF the
plan on this score. The great single
question in their mind seemed to be:
What guarantee have we, or what
guarantee can we obtain. that Europe
will keep her promises to this country?'
If one eliminates from the proponents
of the plan those persons who voted for
, it because OF their personal faith in
!. President Wilson the vote of the major
} lty would be cut down 40 per cent
The single big upset in the poll was
in the vote taken at the plant Of the
Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Com
pany where 1925 men voted against the
plan and $50 voted for II. This vote was
explained by DR.. f. II. Mc1lvain, drec-
, tor OF welfare, by the large number OF
veteran soldiers and sailors-there are
more than 1000 in the plant-who voted
against the plan.
This is Or. McIlvain's explanation OF
the vote. The reason for the majority
of opposition may have been due to
something entirely different.
Thirty per cent of all the mea and
women canvassed for votes were unable
or unwilling 10 express an opinion for
or against the plan as far as 1t has gone
Lack of knowledge was not confined to
any class.
Poll In Theatres
In the poll of the theatres four favor
ed. one opposed and one was tied on the
question. Canvasses of the street cor.
ners showed the proponents to be In
the lead. The vote taken in the railway
terminals showed a ajority to be ir
favor OF the plan although the vote al
the Broad Street Station was consider.
ably closer than the vote at the Read
ing Terminal. One poll of the financa
district showed a majority to be op
posed to the plan while another, ant
more extensive poll of the Bourse gave
a ma ajority in favor, with the Commercial
Exchange virtually tied on the question
In the Free Library the proponents o
the plan won by vote OF almost tw
to one. while in the Mercantile Librar,
!, the vote was against It by a slight ma
, jority.
n poll at Cramps shipyard showed
ma jority against the league. while tn
e votes taken at the Baldwin Locomotiv
: Works and at Hog Island showed tn
! ma jority to be in favor. At Hog Islam
the vote ran three to one.
Altogether the vote shows undoubtedl
; that the question Is regarded by the ma
in the street as non-political, In the oil
!. sense of the word, and that a majorit
want to give the plan for a league o
nations proposal n trial.
Hnrses va TranInra L., MaInL