Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-06
political cards and now deal all round
would afford moro encouragement for tho
nartNs future.
Trusting tho President


WHEN the President stated in his speech
w in the Metropolitan Opera House on the
evo OF hts departure for Europe that no would
convey to the people the other side OF
tho water the inspiring message that an
| overwhelming majority Of Anne rican people
is in favor OF the league OF nations" he cor
rcctly Judged the intensity Of their desire
that the peace conference shall not conclude
its labors until agreement has been reached
upon some form OF covenant by which the
nations bind themselves together TO safe
guard the future peace of the world When,
in fullness OF this confidence Of voicing Amer
lean aspiration and purpose, he pledged that
he would not return to the United States
until the nations of the world were assured
or tho permanency of peace, no gave the ring
ing answer that he should have nado TO the
unprncipled, unpatriotic partisan campaign
on the part OF Republican leaders to weaken
his position in the conference by creating
false impression AS to attitude Of the Amer
lean people toward the league. Hence the
President was standing on firm ground when
he hurled at these Short-sighted politicians,
out OF touch with the great currents OF
human thought, not alone of the world, but
OF their own country as VOL, the defiant
challenge that mo party has tho right to
appropriate this issue, and party will,
IN the long run, dare oppose it,
1t was, perhaps we'll that the President
devoted tho gist OF his speech to the set
ting in which the constitution of the league
OF nations, as reported by the committee 10
the confe renee, had its genesis rather than
to discussion OF the details of the docu-
ment and an attempt to answer the objec-
tons variously raised against it by those in
tnls country intent on defeating the whole
purpose OF league OF nations. Former
President Taft, who preceded him, admirably
explained the main features of the covenant,
and f-o;
.alte rable attitude regards its present per-
lection, the President is free to weigh OBJ
jections which already have been, or here
after may be, urged against it, and in its
further consideration before the conference
to exert his influence to amend it in suoh
manner as will make it more generally ac-
ceptable without striking at the vital prn-
ciples Of the league itself
The American people are not afraid to
trust the President to complete the great
work he has undertaken, with settled en-
thusiasm, OF committing this country to a
covenant designed to secure permanently the
peace of the world by refusing longer to
tolerate international crimes They do not
fear in the least, despite his political de-
tractors, that in pursuance OF this purpose he
will involve them in entangling alliances by
which any vital principle of American
sovereignty will be surrendered or even
]eopardized. They accept his confident state
ment, incontestbe in the soundness of its
logic, that nothing entangles. nothing en-
meshes man except selfish combination
with somebody else. Nothing entangles
nation. hampers it, binds it, except to enter
into combination with some other nation
against the other nations Of the world And
this great Acknowledgement OF all alliances
is now TO be accomplished by this covenant,
because one Of the covenants is that no ma
lion shall enter into any relationship with
another nation inconsistent with the cove
nants OF the league Of nations" and they
stand ready to back him up in all of his
Undertakings at the peace conference in that
behalf. They are Overwhelmingly for q
league OF nations which has righteous pur-
pose only and the power to back it up clearly
defined In every feature OF its character.