Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-07-24
DAVIS ELKINS GREAT SPEECH
ON LEAGUE OF NATIONS

first since he signed the so-called
'round-robin" in which tn views of 80
Senators were set forth briefly. but
clearly. That was given out at
time when the Senate had not re-
ceived the completed document.
Senator Elkins says in his state
ment issued today:
The League of Nations as pre-
scented to the Senate calls for a
change of policy on the part of the
United States which it has adhered
to strictly and with success since its
foundation. We have, following the
wise counsel Of Washington and the
fathers of the Republic, kept clear Of
entangling alliances with all foreign
governments. The proposition now
is very plainly that we abandon that
policy and as an inevitable result Of
that abandonment enter at once into
partnership and alliance with the pol
itics, intrigue, wars and revolutions,
| and all the ferment Of racial discord
and European ambitions and selfish
ness with which we have wisely not
meddled since we have been a nation.
Under this policy we have grown in
greatness and independence, and by
reason of it have been able to WELD
an influence, and enact righteous
part in world affairs, that we could
not have had had we entangled in
such league or alliance as is now
proposed
If we are to depart from this life
long policy, we must do it within the
limits of our constitutional powers,
taking every precaution to safeguard
and protect our government and its
institutions as established under our
constitution. In number of re-
spects, most vital and all-important
to us, the covenant ais presented vio-
lates that in a most astonishing ex-
tent. If we are to enter upon this
! new policy, this anti Washington and
anti-American policy of forming en-
tangIing alliances with each and every
foreign government that desires our
partnership, then, these several pro-
visions violative of our Constitution
and our country's domestic peace and
safety, must be eliminated, amended,
or rendered imperative by wise and
sufficient reservations to insure the
greatest measure of safety. No pre-
cautionary measure should be neglec-
ted if we are to do this unprecedented
thing.
have little heart in the success
Of the adventure we are asked to EN-
bark this Nation on 1t is not
the sort Of league that the people
envisioned nor political parties put in
to their platforms. 1t is most wild
and visionary experiment that is pro-
posed in which ours is to be the per-
Torrance Of the greater part with
the least authority and freedom of
action given us in which to do IT,. We
are asked to surrender measure of
our national sovereignty to an inter-
national or uper-government To
state it more UNDERSTANDABLE we are
invited into an international corpor-
alton in which we are allotted small
per cent of the stock and given a
single member upon the board of di-
rectors. We are expected to supply,
in return for this, the bulk of the cap
itaI for its operation; capital that
is represented by not only money and
its equivalent in supplies and credit,
but in armies and in ships in all
parts of the world. Is there any
business men possessed of large cap
ital who would, for second, listen
to any such an absurd proposition as
that?
We are to underwrite the peace of
f, the world, and we are told that the
world is looking hopefully to US to
do this thing. Is there any wonder
that it is? Do you blame the world
for looking hopefully to us, prayer
fully and tearfully, to do this thing?
Particularly those parts of the world
those governments, which, so far as
the terms of the peace treaty are
concerned, have profted much, and
have, so far as that document dis
closes, sacrificed little, if anything
at all, to that high and vague IDEAL
ism of which we hear SO much and
about which we know so very little.
We are told that the people want
the scheme approved and adopted by
the Senate without let or hindrance
and we are told that the soldiers who
gave their lives gave it for this
precious document Of unAmericanism
and of internationalism, and the soil
diers who survived the hell battles
are as eager for it. | most emphat
! ically deny that this is. true, and 7
as unhesitatingly assert that it is
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