The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05

the council mas announced It's opinion
upon the subject under dispute.
50 that the heart Of the covenant
Of the league IN that the nations
solemnly covenant not to 90 TO war
for nine months after a controversy
becomes acute.
II there had been nine days of dis
cussion Germany would not have
gone to. war. II there had been nine
days within which to bring to bear
the opinion OF the world. the judg-
ment of mankind upon the purposes
OF these Governments they never
would have dared to execute those
purposes.
Fought for High Ideals.
so'that what It Is important for US
to remember is that when we sent
those boys IN khaki across the sea.
we promised them. we promised the
world that we would not conclude
this conflict with a mere treaty of
peace. We entered into solemn en-
gagements with all the nations with
whom we associated ourselves. that
we would bring about such a kind of
settlement, and sSch a consort of the
purpose Of nations thst wars like
this could not again occur.
II this war has to be fought over
again then all our high ideals and
purpose have been disappointed, for
we did not go into this war merely
20 beat Germany. We went into this
war to beat all purposes such as Ger
many entertained.
We are presently, my fellow coun-
trymen, to have a very great pleas
ure OF welcoming on this side Of the
sea the Queen and King Of the Bel
CLANS (applause), and for one am
perfectly sure that we are going to
make II clear to them that we have
not forgotten the violation of Bel
GUM; that we have not forgotten
the intolerable wrongs which were
put upon that suffering people.
have seen their devastated country.
Where II was not actually laid in
ruins every factory was Quilted of its
contents; all the machinery by which
1t would be possible for men to 70 to
work again was taken away, and
those parts of the machinery that
they could not take away were de-
stroyed by experts who knew how to
destroy them.
Belgium was very successful
competitor of Germany in some lines
OF manufacture. and the German
armies were sent there to see to It
that that competition was put a stop
to. Their purpose was to crush the
independent action of that little king
dom-not merely to use II as a gate
way through which to attack France.
And when they got into France they
not only fought the armies of France,
but they put the coal mines Of France
out Of commission. so that II will be
a decade or more before France can
supply herself with coal from her ac-
customed sources.
Article v. Heart of Pact.
You have heard a great deal about
Article X. OF the covenant of the
League OF Nations. Article x.
speaks the conscience of the world.
Article y. Is the article which goes
to the heart Of this whole bad bust
ness. for that article says that the
members Of this league-and that Is
intended to be all the great nations Of
the world-engage to resist and to
preserve against all external aggres-
sion the territorial integrity and po-
ltical independence of the nations
concerned. That promise Is neces-
sary In order to prevent this sort of
war recurring. and We are absolutely
discredited II we fought this war and
then neglect the essential safeguard
against IT
You have heard II said. my fellow
citizens, that we are robbed of some
degree of our sovereign independence
by articles of that sort. Every man
who makes a choice to respect the
rights of his neighbors deprives him
self OF absolute sovereignty. but he
does 1t by promising never to do
wrong. and I cannot, for one. see
anything that robs me of any in
herent right that I ought to retain
when promise that will do right.
We engage, in the first sentence of
Article X. to respect and preserve
from external aggression the terri
toriaf integrity and the existing polit-
icaI independence not only of the
other member States but of all
States, and II any member OF the
League of Nations disregards that
promise, then what happens? The
Council OF the League advises what
should be done to enforce the respect
for that covenant on the part OF the
nation attempting to violate II. And
there is no conIpulsion upon us to
take that advice-axcept the compul-.
sion of our good conscience and judg-
ment
So that It is perfectly evident that
II, in the judgment of the people of
the United States, the council adj
judged wrong and that this was not
an occasion for the use of force
there would be no necessity on the
part of the Congress of the United
States to vote the use of force. But
there could be no advice Of the
council on any such subject without
unanimous vote. and the unanimous
vote would include our own. And II
we accepted the advice we would be
accepting our own advice For !
need not tell you that the represen-
tatives Of the Government OF the
United States would not vote with
out instructions from their Govern
ment at home, and that what we
United In advising we could be GER
tain that our people would desire
to do.
There is in that covenant not one
note OF surrender of the independent
judgment of the Government OF the
United States, but an expression OF It,
because that independent judgment
would have to. join with the judg-
ment of the rest.
But when is that judgment going
to be expressed, my fellow citizens?
Only after 1t is evident that every
other resource has failed. And !
want to call your attention to the
central machinery of the League OF
Nations. II any member OF that
league or any nation not a member
refuses to submit the question at
issue, either to arbitration or to dis
cussion by the Council there ensues
automatically, by the engagements OF,
this covenant. an absolute economic
boycott.