The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-26
THE LEAGUE is DEAD"

statement in which it was asserted
that The British Wilsonian league OF
nations is dead The basis of that
declaration was the resolution signed
by thirty-nine Republican Senators OF
the new Congress, and read to the
Senate that day, to the effect that
the constitution of the league of ma
tions in the form now proposed to
the peace conference should not be
accepted by the United States The
slgners of that document constitute
ing more than third of the Senatei
it was no spirit of idle prophecy that
prompted the assertion that the
league is dead It's truth has been
established in the drastic reservations
adopted by the Senate, which leave
only shell of the covenant that
sought to rob America of her liber.
ties.
But the act of the thirty-nine re
publicans was but the elimination OF
a national awakening to the dangers
which league of nations woulG
bring upon the country. Ever sincq
the President had incorporated the
idea of league in his Fourteen
Points of January 8, 1918, discern
ing minds had been turned in that di
rection. The first note of public
warning of what impended was sound
ed by Senator Miles Poindexter OF
Washington in speech in the SEN
ate on November 18th, by a coinci-
dence almost exactly a pear previous
to the time the covenant was stripped
Of its fatal provisions by Poindextel
and his Republican colleagues. In
that speech the Senator voiced the
conviction that, if this country shoulGI
become member of the league, the
United States will have surrendered
its birthright; it will have given ur
the spirit as we'll as the fact of SOW,
ereignty."
The impression created throughout
the country by Mr.. Poindexter's ap-
peal to Americanism was immediate
and profound. Citizens generally
had been inclined to look upon a
league of nations as some nebulous
power that was to come and drive
war from the earth. They began
20 realize that instead of preventing |
war for the United States the league |
would have the effect of drawing this
country into every world quarrel. as
we'll as substituting the dictation of
1 foreign tribunal for the independ.
ance of action that we had enioved
SO long.
"On December 18 and March
Senator Knox; on February 81 Sen
ltor Borah; on February 26 Senator
on February % Senators
lodge, Lenroo,t and Frelinghuysen;
md on March 3 Senators Sherman
md Spencer-all emphasized the
delivered by Mr.. Poindex-
er, On March A the wave of indig.
lation against the league had chrys-
allied into the signed statement of
hirty-nine Republican Senators re-
erred to.
From that moment until the f.
al vote was taken on the treaty the
pposition of Republicans of the Sen
te to any surrender of American
overeignty has been adamant. Ar.
aged against them in an effort to
ndermine the inherent patriotism of '
.merica has been very resource at
ne command of the Administration.
Trough the League, to Enforce, he
dded, be it said with shame, b. a !
epublican eX-President, huge sums
{ money have been collected and ex. I
ended in the most gigantic propa. t
anda campaign ever conceived. But s
trough the storm of misrepresenta-
on and denunciation the Republi- S
ans of the Senate, and the principles
hich they were protecting, have j
merged victorious. The people of \
lie country have followed the strug,
e with absorbing attention; they d
I'VE carefully noted to what party ?
e champions of their rights belong;
I'd at the elections next year will a
sten to express their gratitude in j,
actical and decisive way" W