Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-02-20
? PlOINDEXTER !
ASSAILS DRAAFI |
LEAGUE Cons n
Declares U. S. Entrance Into Pac'
Would Mean Surrender of
An erieas Rights.
HoLDsIT INSTRUMENT OF WAR
League Violates Constitution
Wants Vote Of People on
Its Acceptance.

Washington, D. C.-In the first pre-
pared address on the League of Ma.
tions delivered in the senate since the
constitution of the proposed league
was made public, Senator Miles Poin.
dexter Of Washington, republican, de-.
clared the entrance of the United
States into the league would mean
surrender of American rights priv
ileges and sovereignty abandonment
of the Monroe Doctrine and a violation
of the constitution.
The constitution of the league, he
asserted, was conflicting, indefinite and
uncertain and the machinery which 1t
proposes to set UP similar to the.
soviet government of Russia
No such colossal burden or en-.
tangIing alliance was ever before con
ceivcd in the world. the senator said
Instead Of being an instrument Of
peace it is the fertile seed Of war, the
dragons teeth from which, when.
sown, armed soldiers will spring.
Through participation in the draft
ing the leagues constitution, Senator
Pondexter declared the United States
had heen led to a point where we now
are facing mn abyss. If the senate
sfaGJd rsstify itl;s p'sSsssSsssh constitution
and sanction the entrance of the Unit
ed States into n League of Nations,
without submission of the question ito
the American people in q political
campaign where it shall have been
made the issue and upon which they
will have an opportunity to render
Judgment in an election Z he declared,
.'the selfgovernment in America will
have disappeared.
Wants Vote by People
''In adopting or rejecting this con-
stitution," said Mr.. Poindexter, and
thereby becoming or not becoming a
member of the league established I'M
der it,, the government and the people
of the United States will determine
whether they are to remain the great
sovereign and independent nation, q
people controlling their own destiny,
determining for themselves the extent
of their military preparations, the size
of their armies and nayies, and estab-
fishing for themselves their interna-
tional relations: or whether they are
10 merge their destinies with those of
other nations of the world, sharing
their burdens, participating in their
quarrels and becoming a part to all
international complications
Wilson'S Silence Request Condemned
Referring to the request of Presi-
dent Wilson that the congress refrain
from discussion of the league until he
could meet with the foreign affairs
committees. Senator Poindexter assert
aa if was "A matter of too much i'm
,,,,, fei. us te ressssain aitesgetae1'
silent. = and that mo harm can be
done by full discussion" Of a document
OF which the world was purposely
Kept in entire ignorance" until III
came forth fuTI panopied, as though
IrOIf1- The fledtt VI JoNC.
Taking up the provisions OF the
leagues constitution, the senator de-
clared the document contained no pro.
visions for its abrogation or for the
withdrawal of q nation. He said thas
doubtless the te5igii $ s:aveeat tes '#ssia Won
contend that the agreement might pc
a.,,esatea at ANY time but such ne
said. was the contention OF many oi
the states which joined the federal un'
ion only to learn differently through
I the bioodshed OF a civil war.
SAYS League Violates Constitution
| By the terms of the constitution he
Icontinued, "tfe decision as to the rela
| tive reduction of the army and navy
al 4 he I,aifad States. In PROPORTION te
| that Of the great rival powers. wo,llc
be taken absolutely out Of the 3uris
idiction OF the people and government mn
Of the United states and vested in tns
t,,riga iefson of the Lea szl,e where I'M
/ tinted States has but one vote and
large number Of alien powers. This
iii itself, he added would ee In con
fl,ct vii u, the constitution cf ths
1 United states
HoId pIan NOT f,ssce t5laraniy
,riie power Of congress to declar'
war t,e said. would be taken away 81
IS il, vioiatioI or the cons I1tu tioIs 2 2
Avested III i tribunal the great oyer