Evening star., 1919-02-22
Mr.. TAFT REASSERTS
A|SFA|TH IN LEAGUE
Continues Criticism of Those
Who Oppose Covenant, and
| Answers Senator Borah.

SACRAMENTO. Cal, February o.
William Howard Taft, president of
the League to Enforce Peace. has
given out a statement in which he
reiterates his assertion that "those
who oppose" the proposed league of
nations covenant ION the ground that
we should maintain the so-called
policy against entangling alliances
have a narrow vision of our national
duty"
He declared he was confident that
without specific provision the league
of nations would, under the covenant,
as 1T is, maintain the justice and wis
dom of the whole Monroe doctrine"
but if article X was not sufficient he
had no doubt such provision could be
inserted.
He denied that the Carnegie Peace
Foundation was financing the con-
crosses of the League to Enforce
Peace.
Corrects Published Statement.
'sthat | have been miSquoted in dis
patches from san Francisco. l have
been made to say that l would not
trust overnight senators opposing this
treaty. What 1 said was this:
II yield to no man in my profound
respect for the Constitution of the
United States as the greatest funda-
mental instrument ever struck from
the brain of man, but 1t made me
impatient to see perVerslon OF It's
meaning and purpose urged in order
to keep this great country out of a
NJ 20 n n O
that among those engaged in this
were men whose adherence to the
guarantees of civil liberty in that
great instrument. and the means OF
maintaining them through the courts.
had not been conspicuous in the past
and whose disposition to amend or
weaken them in the past made me
feel that I would hesitate to trust
them with the Constitution overnight
States Effect of Opposition.
.T have said that those who oppose
this covenant on the ground that we
should maintain the so-called policy
against entangling alliances ana
would withdraw US again into an I'M
possible status of world isolation
without responsibility for the peace
of the world, have a narrow vision
of our national duty. They fail to
realize our enormous power of as
peace by concert. Thus they mini
mize Americas proper part as fac
tor in the advance of civilization.
They thereby belittle America and be-
come little Americans.
Answers Senator Borah.
In reference to Senator Borah's
question whether j would recommend
an amendment to the covenant of
Paris specifically reserving from its
restriction any limitation of the pow
er of the United States to enforce the
Monroe doctrine, / have to say 1 be-
heve the whole spirit and essence of
the covenant is not only to preserve
the Monroe doctrine in the western
hemisphere. but also to extend it to
the world and to give it the sanction.
also of the whole league of nations.
This is particularly and specifically
shown in article x of the covenant
IF 1t be said that article x does
not prevent a foreign nation from
buying it's way into territorial own
ership and political power in the
western hemisphere, without the con-
sent of the United States and other
American powers, then ] doubt not
that before the covenant is signed
and embodied in the treaty of peace
the concert of nations at Paris will
consent to have such a provision in
serted. OF course, 1 would favor this,
but, personally. / am confident that
without this specific provision the
league would under the covenant as
IL is, maintain the justice and wis
dom of the whole Monroe doctrine"