The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-09

pay to jim Reed. like q man /
who is an American before he's
II partisan"
tainly the responses ana reactions of the
various audiences that Harding found
to-day in Missouri. at ST. Joseph, where
he addressed 5000 people, and elsewhere
along the line of the Burlington Road.
indicated that the people are not friend
! ly TO the Wilson proposal. The indica-
/ tons are that II the Republicans sue
coed in ironing out their factional
troubles, Missouri can be counted upon
! for Harding and probably for Spencer.
Text of Kansas City Speech.
| Following is the text of Senator Har-
6ing's Kansas City speech:
| THE statement which the President
| made to the country day or two ago
emphasizes his infexible determination
! to secure the adherence OF the United
! States to the league precisely as the
! covenant Is written. We know from au-
| thoritative declarations that the mind Of
| the Democratic candidate and that OF
the Democratic President are in perfect
accord. We may assume. therefore.
that the President speaks for the candi-
, date and announces the policy which he
will follow If elected.
| I'm the Presidents statement the peo-
! pie are told that the election is to be
genuine national referendum and they
| are to instruct their own Government
what they wish done. So far as the
league Is concerned, he says. the ques-
| ton which their vote will answer is: Do
they wish the treaty of Versailles rau-
| fled, and do they-I quote his exact
words-'in particular approve of the
League of Nations as organized and
| empowered in that treaty? Those who
| oppose the treaty in Its present form
| and there are quite q number of re-
| spectacle and intelligent people who
| do oppose it-are charged with gross
| Ignorance and impudent audacity.
He tells the people that there is
| nothing in the covenant which in the
| least interferes with or impairs the
right of Congress to declare war or not
| to declare war, according pits own in
| dependent judgment as the Constitution
provides The fallacy of this position
| has been expressed again and again
Article X, In words of the utmost pre-
| cision binds us to all obligation which
under certain easily foreseeable circum-
| stances will require the use Of armed
| forces.
| "It is true that the Constitution in
vests Congress with the sole power to
| declare war, but If war shall become
! necessary in order to fulfil this or any
| other treaty provision Congress must
| either declare war or repudiate the obli-
| cation. This obligation assumed by the
signatores to the covenant is absolute
/ and unqualified. Whenever certain
| specified circumstances arise, no mat
| ter how much we might regret Ii, we
would have to keep our promise or
| sneak out of II. Let no one be deceived,
| the choice would be between two things
war or dishonor.
article Y. is not only the most dan
| gerous provision in the covenant but. in
its sinister possibilities. 1t is the most
dangerous proposition ever presented to
the American people. Let me read 1t
to you--it is very short-and then ask
you to follow me in brief Inquiry as
to it's meaning. 1t reads:
1.-The high contracting parties I'M
| dertake to respect and preserve as
| against external aggression the terri
torial integrity and existing political In
dependence of all States, members OF
the league In case of any such ag-
! erosion, or In case of any threat or
danger of such aggression, the Execu-
tive Council shall advise upon the means
by which the obligation shall be full
filed
Bound to Keep obligation.
IF the Democratic ticket be elected
the statement of the President makes 1t
clear that in his opinion the new Ex-
| ecutive will be bound to Insist that this
obligation shall stand as the solemn
pledge of n people who keep their
| pledges at whatsoever extremity of cost
! for according to the President, with
! whom the Democratic candidate says he
| is In accord. such a result will constitute
/ ~ "a lon rrtn a s0rpQ god
| and empowered In the treaty 1t Is I'M
portant then--nay. 1t is vital-for us to
| know exactly what under Article X. we
1 shall have bound ourselves to 10. AS
| one of the high contracting parties we
| shall undertake first to respect the ter
ritoriai integrity and existing political
| Independence OF tho other members of
/ the league.
eff this were all Mr.. Wilson would
be quite correct in saying that the right
OF Congress to declare war or not to
declare war had not been interfered
with. Thus far we are bound only to
! exercise that degree of self control
which will enable us to keep our hands
off our neighbors territory. But I'M
i fortunately this Is rot all : indeed COM
pared with what remains, 1t is negligible.
! We undertake not only to respect the
territorial integrity and political indie
pendence OF coniembers, but to preserve
them as against external aggression.
I'VE do not need to bring to bear
upon these words any fine processes OF
logical analysis. Their meaning is SO
plain that he who runs may may read
The obligation assumed Is as free from
ambiguity as written promise to pay
$50 thirty days after date. To preserve
means to defend and save. When rati-
fled the obligation becomes that or the
nation, not merely the promise OF the
President and the Senate or Congress
The national honor will be pledged to
II as It is pledged to the performance
Of every treaty. America will never
countenanceN the cynical doctrine that
treaty is mere scrap OF paper
FOR Congress to refuse In case OF
necessity to carry the obligation into
effect would be gross and shocking
betrayal of every other member OF the
league. Reputation can never take the
place OF performance. / am plain
average man, like most of you, little
skilled In legal and diplomatic intrica-
cies, and know OF no way to keep q
promise except TO Keep Il.
Lot us take an illustration. The
! ranch neighbors, having adjusted theli
respective boundaries. agree to abide BY
the adjustment and respect the posses
sions OF one another. But living in q
frontier country and subject TO hostile
Interference from others they further
! agree to stand by one another against