River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-09-25
Johnson Closes Middle West Tour
Against Treaty at Mime
apolis Auditorium.
5000 HEAR ADDRESS
California Scion Tells Why He Opposes
League of Nations Covenant as
Drawn at Paris-Nation at
Cross Roads of Destiny.

Minneapolis - Senator Hiram w.
Johnson of California, closed his 10
days tour Of the middle west in oppo-
sition to the peace treaty in Mime
apolis. His day in the Twin Cities,
involving four speeches to as many
audiences, was one of the most strenu-
Gus of his tour.
Addressing an audience of 5000 peo-
pie in the Auditorium, he said:
81 feel very keenly that our nation
stands today at the cross roads of it's
destiny
''The document that has been pre-
sented to us and which we are asked
to make part of our great nation
comes to us at a time most peculiar in
our history. We have a singular, psy-
Geological infiex from the world war
working on the lives of people with
distorted intellects, nations are unable
to see with the same clarity of vision
as at other periods.
DisiIIusioned by Covenant.
"You recall that, before we knew
anything about the great covenant of
the League Of Nations gentlemen we're
going about from city to city, from
state to state, preaching of it's virtues
and telling Of the marvellous things
that were going to happen as result
of the great, unknown document. And,
most of us, indeed, welcomed anything
that might render less likely wars in
the future; but we have watched the
proceedings abroad with a growing
establishment. We saw one by one
the great principles to which we had
given unqualified Endorsement and ap-
prevail abandoned and surrendered.
There are same places that are
paved with good intentions. Paris is
not one of them.
81 cast my first vote in the United
States Senate for the direct declara-
ton Of war. In the early discussion
of the war after its declaration, there
was a spell on me, just as I imagine
every American experienced, desire
to do something superhuman, to de-
vote my utmost energies to the coun-
is great part and do it's duty in the
vast conflict confronting u.s. | remem-
Der in those days sitting in my seat
and seeing Balfour OF England come
from the side door and mount the rOs-
trum of the senate. For the first time,
so tender is the Senate of it's prece-
dents, for the first time since Lafayette
stood there, Balfour was the only for
eign diplomat to address that body.
remember him telling how he and his
people was fighting the war for the
same thing we were, for democracy of
the world. l heard Viviani Of France.
did not understand him, but the must
cal eloQuence of words was apparent;
he told US in like altruistic tenor
how he and his countrymen were strug-
Cling that democracy might be made
safe. | heard Ishii Of Japan, and I'm
dine of Italy, talk from this same rOs-
trum.
Secret Treaties in Pockets.
"My heart throbbed and my eyes
strained during those Hateful moments,
while they were talking to us in ideal
istic phrases and during the very time
they were talking to us their pockets
were bullying with secret treaties made
before we had entered the war, treaties
which disposed of the peoples and ter
ritories Of the earth and which parti-
toned the earth's surface, but they
never mentioned them to senator or to
congressman or to the President or the
secretary of state, never lisped a syl-
liable of their existence, and the Presi-
dent told us he never heard of those
secret treaties until he reached Paris.
Il wouldn't stop to characterize this
sort of duplicity and double dealing,
but | say that when we have had that
sort of experience with the men in
whose power we are about to place our
selves under this treaty, that we ought
to know just what we are going to do
before we undertake it,
America Given Minority Vote.
THAT is the issue. Not that we
of the world, but when you put US at
the conference at Geneva in secrecy
with eight foreign nations in reality
1t is only five-because it is the big
five that is going to rule the world in
the future-you put us there with one
minority vote under the control and
power of the other four great nations
of the earth and you make them de-
termine the character of our action and
the time of our action
ut may be legal or moral, or as