Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-12

Of the league is that the nations
solemnly covenant not to go to war
for nine months after a controversy
becomes acute"
Defends Article x.
Later, taking up article X, he said:
you have heard a great deal about
article X of the covenant of the
League of Nations. Article x speaks
the conscience of the world. Article
X is the article which goes to the
heart of this whole bad business, for
that article says that the members
of this league-and that is intended
to be all the great nations of the
world-engage to resist and; preserve
against all external aggression the
territorial integrity and political in
dependence of the nations concerned.
THAT promise is necessary in order
to prevent this sort of war recurring,
and we are absolutely discredited II
we fought this war and then neglect
the essential safeguard against it.
1--WE engage, in the first sentence OF
article x, to respect and preserve from
external aggression the territorial in
tegrity and the existing political inde-
pendence, not only of the other mem
Der states, but of all states, and if any
member of the league disregards that
promise, then what happens?
"The council of the league advises
what should be done to enforce the
respect for that covenant, on the part
of the nation attempting to violate it.
And there is no compulsion upon us
to take that advice-except the COM
pulsion of our good conscience and
judgment.
$50 that it is perfectly evident that
if, in the judgment of the people of
the United States, the council ad-
judged this was not an occasion for
the use of force, there would be no
necessity on the part of the congress
of the United States to vote the use
of force. But there could be no advice
of the council on any such subject.
without a unanimous vote, and the
unanimous vote would include our
own"
Force of Economic Boycott. :.
The president called attention TO
the provisions in the treaty for an abb
solute economic boycott of recalci-
trant nations and predicted the COM
plete efficacy of such action, continu-
ing:
Il dare say that some of those ideas
are new to you, because it is true, as
/ said this forenoon, in Columbus, that
apparently nobody has taken the pains
to say what is in the covenant of the
League of Nations.
"They have discussed three-chiefly
three-out of twenty-six articles, and
the other articles contain the heart
of the matter; that instead of war
there shall be arbitration; instead OF
war there shall be discussion; instead
of war there shall be the closure of
intercourse; that instead of war there
shall be the irresistible pressure of the
opinion of all mankind.
"I am arguing this thing with you,
my fellow citizens, as if I had any
doubt of what the verdict of the Amer
ican people would be. 1 haven't the
, slightest doubt. just wanted to have
. the pleasure of pointing out to you
how absolutely ignorant of the treaty
and of the covenant, some of the men
are who have been opposing it.
eff they do read the English Ian
guage they do not understand the Eng
lish language as l understand it. L
! they have really read this treaty anC
; this covenant they only amaze me BY
their inability to understand what |!
plainly expressed. So that my erranC
upon this journey is not to argue thes'
matters, but to recall you to the rea
issues which are involved"
Touches on Irish Question.
Abiding evidently to the Irish ques
r ton, Mr.. Wilson said:
'@There were a good many delega
tions that visited Paris waiting to b
1 heard by the peace conference VIII
r had real causes to present and whicl
ought to be presented to the view o
/ the world.
q 'rBut we had to point out to ther
$ that they did not happen, unfortunate
h ly, to. come within the area of settle
n ment; that their questions were no
:. questions which were necessaril
drawn into the things that we wer
l. deciding. y.
8 81 therefore want to call your after
/ ton, if you will turn it up when 70
go home, to article XI, following art
Il Gle x of the covenant of the Leagu
n of Nations.
e "That article XI, let me say, is th
e favorite article in the treaty so far q
v 1 am concerned. 1t says that ever
s. matter which is likely to affect tn
peace of the world is everybody's bus
IS ness and that it shall be the friendl
l. right of any nation to call attentio
# in the league to anything that is ikel
e. to affect the peace of the world {
the good understanding between nj
" tions, upon which the peace of th
,r world depends, whether that matte
= Immediately concerns the nation draw
" ing attention to it or not.
le 'sThere is not an oppressed people
il the world which cannot, hencefortl
h get a hearing at that forum"
,r In closing, the president explaine
20 the necessity for the Shantung settl
le ment, and then challenged the o.
N ponents of the treaty and league
suggest a better way to secure worl
1t peace.