The sun., 1919-09-07
PREDICTS A CLBBET
FOR FOES OF LEAGUE
Condemns Political Bolshe-
Uism in Kansas City Speech.

came back from Paris bringing
one Of the greatest documents OF
human history. One of the things
that made It great was that It was
penetrated throughout, with the prin-
ciples to which America has devoted
her life Let me hasten to say that
one of the most delightful circum-
stances of the work on the other side
OF the water was that 1 discovered
that what we called American princi-
pies had penetrated to the heart and
to the understanding not only of the
great peoples of Europe but to the
hearts and understandings, OF the
great men who were representing the
peoples of Europe.
I think that I can say that one of
the things that America has had
most at heart throughout her exist
ence has been that there should be
substituted for the brutal processes
of war the friendly processes Of con-.
sultation and arbitration, and that Is
done in the covenant of the League
OF Nations. l am very anxious that
my fellow citizens should realize that
that Is the chief topic of the cove
nant of the League Of Nations, the
greater part OF its provisions.
The whole intent and purpose of
the document are expressed In pro-
visions by which all the member
States agree that they will never go
to war without first having done one
or the other OF two things, either
submitted the matter In controversy
to arbitration, In which case they
agree to abide by the verdict, or SUBJ
hitting Il to discussion in the coun-
\ Gil of the League of Nations, and for
that purpose they consent to allow
siA months for the discussion and,
whether they like the opinion ex-
pressed or not, that they will not go
to war for three months after that
opinion has been expressed, SO that
you have, whether you get arbitra-
ton or not, nine months discussion,
and / want to remind you that that
is the central principle of some thirty
treaties entered into between the
United States Of America and some
thirty other sovereign nations. all of
which are confirmed by the Senate of
the United States.
why Germany Refused.
We have such an agreement with
France, we have such an agreement
with Great Britain, we have such an
agreement with practically every
great nation except Germany, which
refused to enter into such an arrange
ment because, my fellow citizens,
Germany knew that she intended
something that did not bear discus
sion. and that II she had submitted the
purpose which led to this war to so
much as one months discussion she
never would have dared go into the
oh
she finally did go into. Applause.
And, therefore, 1 say that this prin-
ciple of discussion is the principle
already adopted by America. And
what is the compulsion to do this?
The compulsion is this, that IL any
member State violates that promise to
submit either to arbitration or dis
cussion 1t is thereby ipso facto deemed
to have committed an act of war
against all the rest. Then. you will
ask, do we at once take UP arms and
fight them? No. We do something
very much more terrible than that.
We absolutely boycott them.
Let any merchant put up to HIM
self that II he enters into a covenant
and then breaks 1t and the people all
around absolutely desert his estab-
lishment and will have nothing to do
with him, ask him after that IL II
will be necessary to send the police.
The most terrible thing that can hap
pen to any individual and the most
conclusive thing that can happen to
a nation is to be read out of decent
society. Applause.
There was another thing that we
needed to accomplish that is accom-
plished in this document We wanted
disarmament, and this document pro-
vides in the only possible way for
disarmament by common agreement.
Observe. my fellow citizens, that Just
now every great fighting nation in
the world Is a member of this part
nership except Germany. and mas
much as Germany has accepted a
limitation of her army to 100000
men don't think for the time being
she may be regarded as a great fight
ing nation.
And you know. my fellow citizens,
that ornaments mean great standing
armies and great stores of war ma
terial. They do not mean burden
some taxation merely; they do not
mean merely compulsory military
service, which saps the economic
strength of the nation, but they mean
the building UP of military class
Again and again, my fellow citizens.
In the conference at Paris we were
face to face with this situation: that
in dealingrwith a particular civil gov
eminent We found that they would
not dare to promise what their gem
eral staff was not willing that they
should promise, and that they were
dominated by the military machine
which they had created, nominally
for their own defense, but really
whether they willed 1t or not-for
the provocation of war
And so as long as you have a mill
tary class It does not make any diff
ference what your form Of govern
ment is. II you are determined to
be armed to the teeth you must obey
the orders and directions of the only
men who can control the great ma
chinery of war 1t is not merely the
cost of 1t (armament), although that
is overwhelming. but 1t Is the spirit
of II, and America has never had,
and hope in the providence OF God
never will have that spirit. [Great
applause.]
More Than Promise Needed.
And there is no other way to dis
pense with great ornaments except
by the common agreement OF the
fighting nations of the world. And
here IS the agreement. They promise
disarmament, and promise to agree
upon a plan. But there was some
tring else we wanted that is accom-
plished by this treaty. We wanted
to destroy autocratic authority every
where In the world. We wanted to
see TO 1t that there was no place in
the world where small group OF
men could use their fellow citizens as
pawns in a game; that there was no
place in the world where a small
group of men. without consulting
their fellow citizens, could send their