The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-10-04

But Mr.. Wilson, with clear logic and
with compelling eloquence, answered
to the entire satisfaction of Califor-
MAS people every objection which
Senator Johnson had made to the
League And thousands of the states
citizens deserted the Johnson stand
ard Immediately and rallied to the sup
port of the president. More than that,
they came forward and said, I'VE
were against you, Mr.. President but
you have cleared everything up and
now we are with you heart and soul.
Still more than that, they let Senator
Johnson know that they were no
longer with him and that they disap-
proved of the speaking tour which he
himself was making in opposition to
the League and so powerful was the
volume of public opinion which reach
ed him, that the senator almost i'm
mediately abandoned his tour. The
Shan Tung question, because of the
anti-Japanese feeling which undoubted-
" exists along the Pacific coast was
the most serious which the president
had to answer He explained to the
people that he had been powerless to
prevent the rich peninsula from being
given to Japan. England and France,
through a secret treaty, had promised
it to Japan for entering the war and
remaining in it. That treaty had to
be carried out Anyway it was not
China that was losing Shan Tung, but
Germany, which had seized the terri
tory from China in 1898 and held 1t
ever since. Japan had promised, the
president explained to return Shan
Tung as soon as the peace treaty was
ratified and 1t was only through the
ratification Of the treaty with the
League of Nations inclusion, that
China could ever expect to get her
former property back. And she surely
would get it back, he declared, through
the ratification of the League. There
fore. through the same fundamentally
no other nation could again prey upon
the Great, patient, diligent, but help
less kingdom" AS to our being drawn
into any European conflict. The pres
ident pointed out that no direct action
such as the sending of troops to any
part of the world to maintain or re-
store order could be taken by the
Council OF the League without unan1-
nous vote of the council members,
therefore our vote could at once mega
tive any such proposition as sending
our soldiers where we did not want
them sent. Besides, Mr. Wilson argued,
III you have to quench fire in Cali
fornia you don't send for the fire de-
partment of Utah." But, he argued,
there probably never will be another
war, If the League is established, for
the members promise either to arbl-
trate their difference and accept the
decision Of the arbitrator, lay the diff
ferences for discussion and publica-
ton before the Council Of the League
for a period Of six months, and then,
, if possible, accept the councils advice.
That failing, they agree to refrain from
war for a further period of three
months and nine months of cooling
off, the president contended, would
prevent any armed conflict. These clear
explanations satisfied every reasonable
hearer and destroyed the "Bugaboos"
which Senator Johnson and others mad
raised against the League Through
rugged Nevada into Utah, the land OF
Mormons, the president swept to find
that those fine people we're heartily
with him Tor the League and a per-
manencv of peace. !
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