Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-04
Ex-President Taft Says
Allies Must Not Return
Hun Colonies to Germany
Former Chief of Nation in Speech at Omaha Club De-
clares Vctors in War Responsible for Russia,
..: Which Must Be Put on It's Feet; Talks
... in Happy Vein.

day night at a banquet at the Oman.
clu,. Business and professional mer
and army officers and their wive:
made up the large banquet party.
Mr. Taft looked splendid and was
in his happiest mood, punctuating
his address with the characteristic
Taftonian chuckle and occasionally
bursting into huge, deep laugh ii
one Of the semi-iumorous period:
which broke the serious argument
OF his address.
Hi. subject was "The League Of
Nations" and he laid down four
fundamental requirements of this
league:
First, an international court to
decide questions out of which war
might come.
Second, commission of concil-
iatIon to adjust differences which
cAluot be decided under principles
Of law.
Third, a police power to enforce
acquiesence by any recalcitrant
nation in the decisions of either or
both of these bodies.
Fourth, a congress of nations to
codify international law.
Basis Of Just Peace. -..
1--WE cannot make the just peace
that we. Intend to make without
these four fundamentals" said Mr..
Taft 1--WE have based our right
and power to make peace upon the
presidents message of January 8,
with a change in the Interpretation
of freedom of the seas and an en-
largement Of restoration to mean in
dcmnity.
This treaty will involve most
complicated details. Therefore there
must be court to interpret its
nearing. We have supreme court
that is today interpreting the mean
ing of the greatest instrument ever
evolved from the brain of man, the
constitution of the United States.
No treaty can be made that will not
require Interpretation as new ques-
tons ard conditions arise.
THE commission of conciliation
should be made permanent, or at
least for term of 10 years.
THE nations must retain enough
power to enforce their DEGREES. And
the congress of nations must codify
international law and thereby give
it the sanction which some think it
lacks today.
Colonies Are Uppermost.
Among the questions which the
peace conference must decide is that
of Germany's colonies. Not sim
gle one of these colonies should be
allowed to go back into Germany's
hands, because Germany has abused
the natives in her colonies like the
Turks have abused the Armenians
She got into difficulties with one
tribe and settled the difficulty by
exterminatihg the whole tribe.
Shall we, then, distribute these
colonies into the keeping of the al
lied nations? No. If we did, the
world would say within a year that
these nations were using the col
onies for their own ends. And it
woulS arouse the suspicion that the
allies fought this war for territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
"The former German colonies
should be governed by an agency of
the four or five big powers that
have won this war. ..
Responsible for Russia.
Then there is Russia. ! don't
know what is to be done in that
land. But the allies are responsible
and it is their duty to retain their
power until Russia has been put
definitely on her feet.
Next come the questions of the
republics which are to be carved out
of former big pewers-the Ukraine,
Finland. Esthonia, Lithuania. Po-
land, Czecho-Slovakia. Armenia.
There is the question of the Balkans
and their much-fought-over boun-
daries. and Of Constantinople and
Palestine.
I'VE are about to launch eight or
ten new republics among people who
have never had experience in self
government and who have hun
bred inter-racial quarrels. We set
up a republic in Cuba and it fell in
two years. And we set it up again.
And we still retain the right to
intervene if necessary. Now we are
about to set up eight or ten Cubas
and teach them self-government.
What Election Means.
What IS self-government? 1t is
character. President Wilson says. 1t
is the power that marks out its
future with the self-restraint that is
useful to its people. .
THE most remarkable demonstra-
ton OF successful self-government.
to my mind, is our own country be-
teen the nominating conventions and
the day after election, The conven-
tons nominate their candidates and
adopt platforms pointing out the
perfectly terrible things that will be-
fall the country if the other fellow is
elected. And then the people pro-
coed to fill their minds and hearts
and mouths with violent arguments,
and one might think that at election
day there would be a perfect ex-
plosion.
Election day comes and we vote
in some states by families and in
some merely by men. And the votes
are counted. And everybody is sat-
is6ed
"And those who are beaten are
good losers and those who win are
good winners. And when the result
is known we all settle down. know
ing that as surely as the sun rises the