Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-08
Who Is Backing League?

The senate came to grips yesterday when
Senator Pcindexter of Washington charged that
there was an organized movement among the
churches of the country and that they were
spending money to circulate propaganda for
the League of Nations. He was answered by
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, who is lead
ing the fight for ratification, as follows:
Il am glad to know that new, organized
effort is being made among the churches of
the country for this great purpose. 1t is very
true that religious sentiment may be over
whelmngly in support of measure and yet
may not make itself felt without an organized
effort. Even the great work of the Red Cross
and the universally supported work Of selling
bonds during the had to be organized;
and so il seems to be necessary in this case
TO make an effort to show what the real relig-
ious sentiment of this people is on this great
moral question now before the country. The
senator from Washington has done distinct
benefit in showing that organized effort is
being made among the churches to de-
velop the sentiment.
One thing is very evident. There will be
no organized effort among the churches of
the country to oppose the League of Nations.
There is not enough sentiment of that sort to
organize and the fact that the churches are
being appealed to organize anew for this great
work is very good evidence that the sentiment
is there. 1t may not reach some Of the SEN
ators' ears who have made up their minds
stand through thick and thin, but it is going
to show and it is going to be shown in the
future development of sentiment this sub
iect in this country.
1T is not only the churches. but It is the
women OF the country and it is the business
men of the country. it is the laboring interests
of the country. it is the public spirited senti-
ment Of the country that is making Itself felt
and it will make itself more and more felt the
longer this fight lasts"
Senator Hitchcock then sent to the desk for
reading, a telegram from the Women's club OF
central Kentucky. urging treaty ratification.
After this was read, Senator Hitchcock con-
tinued; 1t is very significant that these va
rious organizations showing the various ele-
ments Of society are speaking for the League
of Nations and nowhere against it. Every
where it is the women speaking for the League
of Nations; everywhere it is the churches
speaking for the League of Nations; every
where it is the business organizations like the
chambers of commerce speaking for the League
of Nations; everywhere it is the labor organ
izations speaking for the League of Nations,
and the bar associations. All the high class
and intellectual and vital organizations of the
country, wherever they speak, speak for the
League Of Nations and for the ratification of
the treaty.
Il want to say to the senator, in conclu-
sion, if he wants TO the organized effort
against the League Of Nations let him look
at the socialist and anarchist meetings of the
country, the bolshevik meetings Of the coun-
try, the newspapers published in the interests
of the anarchists and Socialists and boIshe-
visits of the United States, every one of them,
without exception is fighting the League of
Nations. They are his allies. They are his
organs in this fight"