The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-09-15
is first hand information.

is first hand information. In TIL
course of the discussion which tool
place at the meeting Of the Preslden
and senate committee on foreign rela
tions, | raised the question by statin:
a hypothetical case precisely analo
gous to that which l have depicted
and then inquired whether we nigh
not rightfully be regarded as peril
dious people if we should fail to con
tribute an armed force if called to dc
So The President first replied, as
thought somewhat evasively, that We
would be our own judges as to whether
we We're obliged in those clrcum
stances to act in that way or not
Pressed further, however, in response
to a query incorporating the assurnp-
tion that the case provided for and pre-,
scribed had arisen and that the eX.
traneous attack did exist precisely as
it does exist today in Poland, the
president admitted specifically that we
would be untrue If we did not keep
our word.
Replying further to question
which perhaps l ought not TO have con.
sidered necessary the President de
] nounced moral obligation of course,
superior to legal obligation and of
greater binding force.
'What then, becomes of the argu-
ment that Congress, not the President,
in this instance at any rate, might
| keep us out of war? Technically, of
course, if could do So Morally, with
edual certainty, it could net do so nor
would if ever do 50. The American
people would never permit a republic
tion of debt of honor.
"Am not right, my countrymen, in
saying that we needed only the out
break of war between Poland and Rus
Sia TO make us realize at least one of
the things which, in the words os Sec
retary Lansing, we would have been
let in for but for the restraining
hands of the Senate and to fetch home
to US the danger of committing our
country in advance to causes that we
know not of.
"One can have no quarrel with those
who have convinced themselves that
our underlying purpose in entering the
great conflict was to create League
of Nations. The fact remains, how
ever, that no such intent was official
ly acclaimed, no allusion, nor even a
suggestion TO that effect appeared in
the joint resolution of Congress which
declared the existence of state of
war between this country and Ger.
many. For myself | left no room for
doubt of the motives which led me to
cast my Vote in favor of that resolu.
ton. It SO happened that l made the
concluding speech upon the war resolu
ton. from my place in the Senate, on
the nignt of April 4. 191T These were
my own words at thar time: I want il
known to the people Of my state and
to the nation that l am voting for war
tonight for the maintenance of Just
American rights, which is The first es.
sential to the preservation of the soul
of this republic
s'I vote for this joint resolution to
make war, not war thrust upon us,
if i could choose the language of the
resolution, but a war declared in re-
sponse to affronts, war that will at
least put soul into our American life
Il war not for the cause of the Allies
of Europe. war not for France, beau
tiful as the sentiment may be in re.
viVing nj least our gratitude to the
French people, not precisely war foI
civilization. worthy and Inspiring as
that would be, but a war that speaks
for the majesty Of people properly
governed. who finally are brought to
the crucial test where they are re
Il
ftict for the maintenance of their
rights and the preservation of then
covenant inherited from their fathers
I'VE have given to the world the
spectacle of a great nation that could
make war without selfish intent. We
unsicathed the sword some eighteen
years ago for the first time in the his
Tory of the world, in the name Of hu-
manity, and we gave proof to the world
at that time of an unselfish nation
Now, whether it is the fate. or fortune
or travail of destiny, it has come to us
TO unsheathe the sword again, moi
alone for humanity's sake-though
that splendid inspiration will be in
volved-but to unsheathe the sword
against a great power in the nainte
nance of the rights of the republic, OF
the maintenance which will give to US
Il new guaranty of nationality. That
the great thing, and I want it known
Mr.. President and senator's, that this
is the inlpelling thought for me fol
one, when 1 cast my vote?'
'It is for that same guaranty OF
nationality that I stand today and
shall not continue to stand infIexibIe
so long as 1 shall be permitted tc
live The independence of our great
republic is to me a priceless and sacred
Inheritance. Time was when an Amer
lean did not hesitate to proclaim him
self a patriot To do so now, I am
well aware, is sometimes to invite the
sneers of cynicism, but why should
any true American not be free to say
I am a patriot, wholly devoted TO my