The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-11
AT THE CROSS ROADS OF
OUR NATIONAL DESTINY!

Mass, July D, 1919.
"The strange psychological situa-
tion that is presented to us in a dis
cussion of the League of Nations is
one seldom encountered in the past,
and which l hope will never again be
encountered in the future"
"This Covenant, when it came to us,
wrenched us violently from our ira
ditional policy, carried us upon a
path that was new and perilous, and
Communicated, apparently for all
time, our blood and our bone"
1--WE ever played our part in world
politics, and as we played it in the
past, we will play it in the future.
What we say is this we say that
when the time comes for America to
play her part in the world, America
shall determine it instead of Great
Britain"
There is just one going national
concern on earth today and that is
the United States of America. 1t is
asked of us that the one going ma
tional solvent concern in the world to-
day shall enter into partnership with
four bankrupts, and then shall give OF
its substance for them. and for them
alone"
Seven months of meddling and
muddling in European and Asiatlc at
fairs, in controversies which were
none of our concern find, at the
end of the peace conference, Italy de-
testing us. France secretly despising
us, England using us, and Japan bluff
ing us"
I'VE fought a righteous war and
won. We undertook to destroy ruth
less militarism, and it is done. Out
of this war the United States expects
neither territory nor reparations. Vic
tory of the four entente powers. The
and Japan, merely increased territor-
les and innumerablo peoples put un-
der their sway The question arose,
naturally, among those sitting there.
upon whom should the burden be put
of maintaining, persevoring and pro
tecting the greatly increased terri
tory of the four entente powers. The
question is presented squarely by the
! League of Nations,-shall those ma
| lions who gained by the peace, pro-
| tect themselves in their gorSed CON
dition Of territories and peoples, OF
shall the only non profiting nation in
this war. do the protecting for them
| Shall the burden rest upon the gam
ers. or shall, for all time, the gain be
| underwritten by the only non-profit-
| nation in this particular war anC
coming from this particular peace?"
at is for you decide, ultimately
whether or not this burden shall bF
/ borne by you and those who follow
YOU, or whether those who have
/ carved ND the world in the fashion
that they have shall bear the burden
! Of maintaining their own gains out o
| the war"
do you want American boys tx
/ police the world?
"Do you want American blood tt
settle every sQuabble and every wa
and every controversy in Europe, o
Asia, or Africa"
'If you don't want that, you do no
want this League of Nations"
Americans in Paris by the strok'
of a pen in Article 10, they hav
eliminated, eradicated, abrogated tn
Declaration of independence
you cannot, of course, blame thes
nationalists Of Europe from lookin
out for their own. This particula
provision, this particular article, an
this particular covenant is the great
est triumph for English dDlomac
that the world has ever seen, and
admire those men, who thinking Of
their own nation alone, can put al
the burdens for all time upon another
powerful nation, of preserving then
rights and preserving their power
But reserve the right, while yield
ing to them my unstinted admiration
for their a3tuteness and diplomacy
reserve the right, even though the
representatives of the United States
reserve no such right to be al
American citizen"
II do not know, my friends, Wheth
or you care for the Monroe Doctrine