Arizona republican., 1919-05-29
ROBINSON WILLING
 ID RETIRE F HIS
 STATE OPPOSES HIM
Reed Says Missouri Against League Arkansas Sena- tor Accepts Challenge Made for Effect Is Heated Answer

WASHINGTON, May 2s.-Support- ing the league of nations as a practical step toward the prevention of war, Senator Robinson, democrat of Ar kansas, replied in the senate today to many of the objections that have been brought forward by senators against the proposal.
 Far from creating a super govern ment, the speaker declared the league would be "our agent, not our master. It would not be inconsistent with American traditions, he asserted, and could not involve the United States against it's will in foreign quarrels. He denied the validity or constitutional points raised by Senators Sherman, Illinois, Knox. Pennsylvania. and oth- CTS on the republican site, and replied at length to the contention of Senator Reed, democrat of Missouri, that the league would endanger the destinies Of the white race. There were few inter ruptions during the two-hour speech, and the exchanges which did occur lacked much of the bitterness which heretofore has characterized the de bate.
 
 brought the subject before the senate, Q proposal by Senator Johnson, repub- lican of California, to ask the state de- partment for the complete treaty text remained the unfinished business and will come up again tomorrow.
 Says Reed Prejudiced
 Senator Robinson took up in detail the constitutional objections to the league covenant, quoting precendents to show that the covenant provisions in many particulars follow the same legal lines as treaties now in force. In replying to Senator Reeds argument that the league would give a majority voice in world affairs to the black. brown, red and yellow races, the Ar kansas senator declared MT. Reed had been blinded by prejudice.
 There is no race question involved, continued Mir. Robinson. Would the senator favor league composed of white natonis alone, and thus force ! creation of a league of nations com posed of other races? The senator s contention is totally unimportant when viewed in connection with the i fact that decisions of the league must | be unanimous"
 Senator Reed, the speaker charged 1 had sought to intimidate senators from the south by injecting the race question" into the league debate and had challenged southern supporters of the league to justify themselves before their constituency.
 q accept the challenge" said Sena- tor Robinson. ''The day the senator leaves Washington to go to Missouri to justify himself before his constit- uents for his opposition to every effort for a league Of nations, on that day go to Arkansas to justify my support Of this league. And if l don't get back before he does, I'll never come back
 Will Retire If Mistaken
 If the people of Arkansas don't vote for the league two to one or more I'll retire from the senate"
 Senator Reed replied that he was 1T no position to judge the Arkansas sen ators constituency, but was satisfied that so far as Missouri was concerned If submitted to a vote, in any way the league of nations would be over whelmingly defeated"
 The challenge made by MT. Robin son, he declared, was made flor effect
 Criticising Senator Borah, republican of Idaho, for his opposition to th' league. Senator Robinson read into thu record letter written to MT. Borah b! a soldier. who said that the American army had fought for something mort than a temporary peace. The Arkan sas senator also criticised utterance! of Senator Poindexter, republican c Washington, charging that the latte had "struck President Wilson from be hind" To this, Senator Poindexter re piled briefly, stating that he only hal stated an honest objection to some o the presidents declarations.
 The alternative plan for worlt court presented in the senate in Marci by Senator Knox, Mir. Robinson said would create a super government, to which nothing proposed in the Pari covenant could compare. He quotet the Pennsylvania senator as recon |. mending that "all disputes relating t international matters, as defined by al international code. should be decided by an international court" authorizes to call upon sjgnatory powers ''to en force it's decree"
 He would compel every nation, continued MT. Robinson, "to submit ey cry dispute of an international charac ter to league tribunal and in that wa, li deprive the respective nations of al sovereignty and control over their for eign relations"