The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-03-07
OPPOSITION TO LEAGUE OF
NATIONS

William Howard Taft, one of the
mildest-mannered Of men, recently
was moved to remark that the gen
tlemen in the senate who are setting
out to defeat this league of nations
are those would not trust over night"
This somewhat severe arraignment
of men in high position by the hon
Ored eX-President was no doubt called
forth not so much by the fact of the
opposition itself as to the manner Of
it. Evidently he had in mind the Cir
cumstances under which severe criti-
cism of document with which they
We're then unfamiliar was being in
dulged in by certain senators who. as
it happened, had similarly opposed
measures which had been regarded
as essential to the maintenance OF
the honor and integrity of the nation.
The former President went on to say:
They are citing the constitution as
an argument against it. | revere and
worship that great instrument and 1t
is a new story to me If the cOnStltu-
ton prevents this people from playing
their part in bringing peace and order
and happiness to ourselves and the
other peoples of the world.
This is not a political question.
God forbid President Wilson went
to Europe because he went bearing a
promise of league of nations. He
<,e,f fati Of
democracy in The world, and the spon-
taneous enthusiasm, the pathetic en-
phasis of that enthusiasm with which
he was greeted by the peoples of
Europe was an expression of the dear
est hopes which the soldiers, the work
ers, the plain people of Europe hug
to their souls-the hope for an agree
ment among the nations of the world
which shall Danish wars from the earth
forever
president Wilson is a Democrat
and will, | presume. always continue
10 be, | am Republican, and expect
TO continue one; but political differ
ences between us begin at our Allan
tic coast and end on this coast
1.-The application at this time of the
doctrine of avoiding entangling ALI
ances is reactionary to the extent of
delaying world peace one hundred
years"
1t is a noteworthy fact that the op-
position to the league of nations is
headed by men who have consistently
opposed President Wilson and his poll
cles both before and during the war,
and have continued that opposition
since the signing of the armistice.
They have been blindly followed by
every shallow Drained scribbler who
can see nothing in the mommentous
problems that confront this govern
ment but chance for political advan-
tage-men who, for instance, bubble
about words rather than ideas, deny
patent facts in order to score in a |
polntless argument, and ENORMOUSLY
call for information already published
10 the world
The Wilson Notwithstanding
Lord knows has been responsible
for many grave blunders; and it is
far from the purpose of the Daily
Times to pose as apologist for the adj
ministration Politics, as Mr.. Taft
points out, is not concerned in the
attempt to bring into being an organ
ization with such high purpose and of
such stupendous significance to the
world. 1t is even within the range Of
possibility that, after mature consid-
Grafton, the people of this country
may negative the plan as outlined at
the Paris conference. There are
many innovations in the plan, pertain
ing to both domestic and world poll
tics. The idea is startling in its scope.
And the United States or it's repre-
sentatives in the peace conclave would
be simple indeed were they to indorse
the league of nations until they were
familiar with it's every detail The
men who are loudest in denunciation
of the league are not, as would nat
urally be expected, the men who are
most conversant with the plan, but
those who have stubbornly refused to
consider it.
In the present crisis in the country's