Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-28
Roosevelt Fears
Root and Harding
Apart on League

Newark. \. j., Sept. 2l.--Franklln
D. Roosevelt, Democratic vice pres
idential candidate, speaking before
audiences in Newark and Jersey City
tonight. challenged Senator Harding
to take "a definite stand on the
| League of Nations issue"
Now that Elihu Root is home he
said. how will Senator Harding re-
concile the fact that Mr.. Root. one Of
the leaders of his own party, has as
sisted in the establishment of per-
manent court of justice which is an
! integral part of the League OF Ma
tions, with his assertion before the
Grand Army Veterans that the League
is monumental fraud?
Does Senator Harding suppose
that the SO or 80 nations that have
already joined the League wish to try
another experiment with The Hague
tribunal, which has been failure OF
fifteen years? Does he expect that
Europe will scrap the league for him,
for Mr.. Root. for any American or for
all Americans? Europe today is fac
ing a grave danger. Is she going to
cast all aside to try some new wheel
of fortune? Europe is going through
with this League of Nations and she
wants us in it as a guarantee that 1t
will work"
Mr.. Roosevelt also pleaded for the
election of Governor Cox as a man
who is not afraid to stand on his own
legs, one willing to take responsibility
and one who has record Tor con-
structiye achievement along admins
trative lines"
we can not have Successful ad-
ministration." he said. where the
cabinet is strong and capable. but
where the president himself is weak.
History has shown that. The consti-
tuition proves it. The president is
the executive power and he alone II
the constitution had intended the
cabinet to run the president II
would have said so. There is needed
president whose capabillty is
proven. One who has had experience
in more than one legislative line.
cabinet of Schwabs and Roots would
not even insure successful business
administration, if the president were
weakling and accustomed to fol-
low and say aye, aye. sir.
Speaking at a meeting of women
in East Orange in the afternoon, Mr..
Roosevelt repeated his charges that
Republican opposition to the League
of Nations was part of a plot to dis
credit President Wilson and defeat
the Democrats in the presidential
election this fall. This opposition
was decided upon, he said, at secret
conference in Washington in the
spring of 1919 between VIII Hays.
chairman of the Republican National
committee and Republican senators
of the Old Guard"
Senator Lodge, he asserted, then
began his campaign of misrepre-
sentation against the league which
later developed into campaign OF
villification." He characterized as
deliberate lie the charges of some
of the leagues opponents that if the
United States entered the League it
would be compelled Ito send our
boys abroad to fight the battles of
Europe"
Governor Cox" he declared,
had pledged himself if elected that
not one United States soldier would
leave these shores to fight abroad
without the approval Of Congress
and the people of the United States.
That is a sincere and solemn pledge.
If it is not enough say put into the
article Of ratification itself and call
it an interpretation, a resolution. an
amendment or anything else but put
it In plain English SO that the ordi-
nary man can read and understand
IT."