Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-10
EUROPE MUST
KNOW QUICKLY
HOW WE STAND
Wilson Emphasizes Com
mercial Phases in Talks
in Northwest.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1919, by The Argus)
Enroute with President Wilson
to Bismarck, N. D., Sept 10.-More
sinister than political chaos abroad
| is the menace of industrial revolu-
ton, more vital to America than a
mere choice as between foreign
policies is the prospect of trying to
do business with a Europe in dis
order, financially feeble and physi-
cally decrepit; that is the new tack
on which President Wilson has
launched as he passes through
Minnesota and the DakOtas. For
here where foodstuffs are produced
to feed the world the people are
interested in foreign markets and
the ability of foreign countries to
paw for their purchases.
The president sought in his
speeches at Sioux Falls and before
the Minnesota legislature to show
that the cost of living is related to
the disturbed economic situation
of Europe and that the economic
turmoil in Europe cannot be
quieted until the people there know
what kind of a peace is to ensue
and who is to guarantee it finally,
the president insisted that Europe
cannot tell the immediate direction
of her trade winds and welfare un-
til she knows whether or not the
United States means to assist her
or stand aloOf
Mr.. Wilson did not need to make
an analytical argument for the
League of Nations or treaty OF
peace in this region. For the peo-
pie are overwhelmingly in favor
of the idea. If reservations do not
mean textuaI amendments then
there is no particular objection to
them. AS between a league with
out reservations and no league at
all, the people would vote for an
unqualified covenant. But they
will follow Senator Knute Nelson
on that point 49,.
For in the Dakotas and Mime
sofa the unmistakable fact is that
people who are bitterly opposed to
Mr.. Wilson and some of his domes-
tic policies, and they are not a
small percentage but a large ma
iority, would rather see the treaty
of peace out of the way than see
it delayed by a quibbling senate.
Do Not Think Senate Dares.
Until the president came out this
way, they had taken it for granted
that the senate would not delay
peace They had assumed that the
treaty would be ratified. Only from
the lips of the president are they
learning of the dire consequences
of a defeated treaty and are won
dering whether the senate really
means to put America into the un-
fortunate position of holding up
the peace of the world And the
impression which Mr.. Wilson
makes is not very convincing in
these particulars, because while
the people do not dissent from Mr..
wilson's picture of the possibilities
they do not believe the senate
would dare amend the treaty and
send it back to further conference
and delay at Paris.
The president made a pleasing
speech in Sioux Falls. simple in
construction and plain in its mean
ing. He dealt in dignified restraint
with the Minnesota legislature,
where he made less of a stump
speech and more of a formal ad-
dress. The Minnesota legislature
contains not a few members of the
non-partisan league, a growing
manifestation of the political pow
er of that organization in Mime
sofa. l was told by men who would
be the last to contribute to such a
result that Minnesota might be car
ried by the nOn-partisan league in
the next election and that the whole
state may find itself in the same
position as North Dakota.
Confirms Radical Views.
In this section. therefore. where
radicalism is beginning to over
flow into neighboring states, the
presidents speeches are odd con-
firmation of many Of the arguments
used by the radicals during the
war. The president talks of the
dangers of trade riyalries and of
the seeds of commercial jealousy
which were sown before the late
war, and does not hesitate to say
that a big standing army and an
expensive navy will have to be car
ried on the shoulders of a taxpay-
ing public if America decides to
go it alone, as Senators Borah and
Johnson are advising. The presi-
dent argues that Americas isola-
tion is over whether she wills it or
not and that she will be distrusted
if she plays a lone hand.
Shall we be partners or antag-
onists?" asks the president, and his
never fail to agree with !
him in their chorus of answers. |
The crowd at Minneapolis again !
Continued on Page Fourteen.)