The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-09-25
JOHNSON TALKS
TO IOWA CROWD
Declares League of Nations
Gigantic War Trust; Won't
Prevent Wars.
CITES BIG GAINS FOR ALLIES
Senator Rorah, Who Was to Have oe-
cupied Platform With johnson,
Rushes Back to Washington on
Receiving Wire From Lodge.

Receiving Wire From Lodge.
Des AIoines. Ia. Sept. 16.-In ratif-
cation Of the League of Nations cove
nant as it now stands, Senator Hiram
Johnson of California sees the estab-
/ liShment OF a British world
That's what he told 5000 men and
women who gathered at the Coliseum
/ here to hear him answer the prO-leagUe
| arguments presented in the same hall
nine days ago by President Wilson
His speech here represented no ex-
! ceptiOn in this regard The demon
stradve part of the crowd rOared out
prolonged aequiescence with the ora
| tor, when he hammered a fist into a
palm and shouted:
by the treaty Great Britain becomes
! possessed of a fourth OF the earth's
surface; she gains ownership of an
overwhelming preponderance OF the
! peoples OF the EARTH
Great Britain proudly contempIates
out of this peace q British world" the
! speaker went on after quiet had been
restored.
Mr.. johnson denied that the League
of Nations was a body calculated to
! prevent war.
Actually, it is a gigantic war trust"
! he insisted. In its very creation it
is stripped Of every idealistic purpose
it ever had. 1t contains within itself
germs of future wars. And, worst Of
all, it rivets upon millions of peoples
i chain OF tyranny and eements for
I
TONS"
The league is a great world eco
nomic trust, wherein a few men sitting
In secret may control the destinies Of
peoples. The league does in no place
/ concern itself with peoples whose past
wrongs and future rights were so elo-
quently portrayed by the president"
1.-The league can never mean the end
Of discomfort or the cessation Of
war, for peoples held in cruel subjec-
ton like the Koreans or Chinese will
ever be striving for their liberty and
their self-determination, for which We
talked so much and did so little"
'sThis league means that the great
est democracy in the world-Our cOun-
try-must not only continue a party
to the denial of these peoples rights
whenever they are asserted, but to our
u diplomatic denial we will add denial
economically, and by force OF arms
'aThe president tells US we must sac
rifice and throw in our destinies with
the rest of the world. Why2 The very
query evokes from league enthusiasts
angry retort. But they Will not enlight-
en- US. They prefer TO hint darkly at
our motives, and deny even our good
faith
awe are demanding none of the
spoils of war he cried But, in the
came of America, let US at least re-
fuse to be treated as part of the spoils-
I do not quarrel with our allies for
making Germany pay the full price
[ do quarrel with those who propose
to require our blood and our treasure
TO- all time in the future to preserve
the booty Of the war to England,
France, japan and Italy"
\ Des Moines newspaper attacked
I the stand of the reServatiOniSts as to
Shantung; the papers editor. charged
that Japan only received railroad and
harbor rights, and in no way really
encroached upon the rights OF China.
The senator's answer to this was char
acteristic. ANY man who defends
the Shantung agreement is mentally
crooked" he said 1--WE may not help
China directly by refusing TO ratify
the covenant but, at least, then we
viii not be party to a fraud This
Shuntung question is not one concern
ing benefits conferred. It is a ques-
ton Of meeting a moral issue as Amer
leans should meet it Because you
can't prevent a burglary is no reason
WIN you should go into partnership
with a burglar"
Senator William E. Borah Of Idaho
Ps6 arranged TO meet Senator John
son here and speak with him at the
Coliseum. The Idaho senator was sum-
moned to Washington, however, by
Senator Lodge, who felt that the de-
velopments in the capital within the
last several days required presence OF
the full anti-league forces In a tele-
gran from Chicago Senator Borah
wired Senator Johnson that he would
keep him IN daily touch with the
Washington situation and that for the
present Mr.. Johnson could continue
his speaking tour without sacrificing
his anti-league interests In the senate