Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-18


''You talk about our entering this
war for a great world principle. The
man who makes that assertion knows
that he falsities the record. He knows
that we never once said to Germany,
You have no right to make war on
France We based our right of action
solely on the ground that by the acts
of Germany she had made war on u.s.
! want to put ourselves in such a posi-
tion that we shall never feel it peces-
sary to reiterate such a falsehood.
1--WE knew all along just what Ger
many had in mind. We knew her pur
pose of world domination. But we had
not the right under international law
or under any agreement to demand that
she refrain from that hellish purpose.
We do not want this country or any
other country to be again placed in
such a position Of impotency.
''Of course, not one of us would
have written this covenant just as it
has come to us. But this covenant
represents the deliberations of nations.
It deals with complex situations. 1t
comes to us as a compromise compact.
try special concessions have been made
to us. Our Monroe Doctrine is by this
instrument given world sanction.
''The members of the league under
take to preserve the territorial integ
rity only against external aggression.
A community of land owners, where
there is no other law to appeal to, may
most properly unite to protect the land
of every one against the avariciously
inclined. 1t has been asserted and re-
asserted in all the false attacks on this
instrument that the United States
i. would be compelled to help Great Bri-
tain preserve her domain against her
own internal revolutions or rebellions.
Nothing could be more false. 1t Is
only against external aggression that
the league assures its protection.
Time to Show Sincerity
t"The members of the league agree to
the reduction of national armaments.
We wave aloft the banners of sover
eighty and independence as a scarecrow
to frighten those who do not stop to
consider that every compact or treaty
between nations that has ever been
adopted is just as much surrender of
our sovereignty and our national indie
pendence as though the same treaty
were made en- bloc with all the nations.
We have preached the reduction of
armaments for years. Now, present to
me, if you can, better or a safer plan
than that provided in this treaty, or
else acknowledge frankly that we never
intended to conform our acts to our
doctrines"
Referring to charges that the United
States would be at disadvantage in
the league because it has only one vote,
the speaker said the important de-
cisions would be made In the council
where the only votes would be one each
for the five great powers with unani-
nous action required to effect de-
cision or to transfer consideration of
a question to the assembly. Answering
questions that Great Britain would have
too many votes in the assembly, he
continued:
"What would be the danger to us of
having Canada, Australia and New Zea-
land, blood of our blood and bone of our
bone, made members of the assembly?
You give black Haiti vote, you give
black Liberia a vote. But you deny
the great, independent commonwealth of
Canada the right to raise her voice.
''But you say that the question of
whether the matter complained of is a
domestic one must be decided by the
council. Naturally someone must de-
eide that question. But remember that
the verdict must receive the affirmative
vote of every state in the world, outside
the parties to the dispute, and that
the whole world must wickedly, con-