South Bend news-times., 1919-06-19
SENATOR A5SAILS
COVENANT FOES
Attacks on League are False,
4. Insists Defender, in Three
Hour Speech.

4
League OF Nations was supported in
the -enate Wednesday by Sen. Nc
Cumber.of North Dakota. republican
member Of foreign relations commit
tee. who argued in three hour
speech th6t the league covenant Of
fercd just and practicable plan FOR
the preservation OF world peace.
Tke North Dakote senator replied TO
arguments Of Sen Knox OF Penn
sylvania and other republican lead
srs and declared he could not be
Influenced against the league plan
by party consideration. Partisan
that I am" he asserted. Il hope
shall never be so hidebound or so
blinded by party exigency as 10 op-
pose "a just undertaking or a truth
declared by member OF any oppo-
sition party 7 could not cast my
vote against any reasonable plan for
the preservation Of world peace
without conviction that would fol-
low me TO the grave that had com
mitted an objectionable onensc
against all future generations"
The North Dakota senator charg-
ed there had been q campaign Of
Misrepresentation against the
league. He opposed as "A proposal
calculated to sound the death knell
Of eny scheme 10 preserve peace. ."
the resolution Of Sen. Knox. which
would declare the senate's opposi-
tion 20 accepting the league cove
nant along with the peace terms.
Terms Misrcprescntcd
"In 20 years Of service in the
senate" said McCumber. Il have
known but one instrument whose
terms have been so wilfuly misin-
terpreted and so grossly misrepre-
sented as the covenant of the
League Of Nations That some OF il
is vague. 7 know. and some portions
Objectionable from particular view
points. But that it discriminates
against us. is unfair in its treatment
OF our country. or that II imposes on
us any obligation or burden that is
not equally borne by every other ma
tion. must emphatically deny II
is regrcttable that the mighty power
OF eloquence is used TO defame and
distort the true meaning Of an in
strument. the most important that
ever appealed 10 the heart Of the
soul OF man.
Suppose we now refuse TO join
-ith the rest Of the world in some
scheme 20 prevent war, what will
happen as surely as the sun shall
rise. every great nation will proceed
20 devise means for the wholesale
destruction OF nations So desperate
will be the next war that all the
hate and all the venom created by
this struggle will be inhnitesimal
compared with the next And
against what race will all these
weapons OF death be used? Against
the white race"
Isolation Conc
Quoting the declaration of Sen.
Johnson. republican of California.
that America by virtue OF her isola-
tion does not need the European
power 'aS partners" Mr.. McCumber
said isolation had long since broken
down. "a European quarrel having
cost this country in the past five
years 5000 lives and $4,000. .O0O,-
600.
You talk about our entering this
war for "a great world principle" he
continued. The man who makes
that assertion knows that ne falsi-
fes the record. We based our fight
Of action solely on the ground that
by the acts OF Germany she had
made war on US. I want 10 put our
selves in such a position that We
'shall never feel it necessary 10 re-
iterate such a falsehood.
Would Not Interfere.
we knew all along just what
Germany had in mind We knew
her purpose OF world domination
But we had not the right under in
ternational law or under any agree
ment TO demand that she refrain
from the hellish purpose. We do
not want this country or any other
country 10 be again placed in such
a position OF impOtency.
The members OF the league
undertake 70 preserve the territorial
integrity only against external ag-
gression 1t has been asserted and
reasserted in all the false attacks on
this instrument that the United
States would be compelled 10 help
Great Britain preserve her dOmin-
ion against her own internal revo-
lutions or rebelhOns Nothing could
be more false. Il Is only against
external oppression that the league
assures its protection.
Would Reduce Armament.
The members OF the league agree
20 the reduction OF national arma-
ments. We have preached the re-
duction OF armaments for years.