Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-28
Continued from Page one

Continued from Page One
n genuinely sympathetic heart. whether
1t is to mention devastated France. or
sorely tried Italy, or nobly struggling
Poland, or distracted and misguided
Russia, or gallant little Belgium, or
pitiably deceived Austria, or the ruth =
less invader, Germany. which came to
the supreme tragedy through leader.
ship which brought disaster to her mis-
guided people.
''lt was with that feeling Of sym
pafhy and desire to serve. that most
reluctantly and with grave misgivings,
as l announced at the time, l voted tC
accept the league covenant with reser-
vations designed to preserve our essen"
tial liberty of action. The record i3
made and under the same conditions,
confronted by the same alternative,
should vote now as l voted then.
But the conditions have changed.
Experience has brought enlightenment.
We know now that the league cOpsti.
tuted Mt Versailles is utterly impOtent
as a preventive of wars. II Is so OBJ
viously impOtent that II has not even
been tried. II could not survive a
single test. The original league, mis-
takcnly conceived and unreasonably in
sisted upon, has undoubtedly passed be =
| yond the possibility of restoration.
Now, 1t may appear to you that |
have been speaking chiefly in the mega =
tive. | make the admission. What is
more. | might continue to do so almost
indefinitely without disadvantage TO our
cause. So many things have been done
by the present expiring administration
that no power on earth could induce me
to do. that I cannot even attempt to re =
count ;hem. may remark casually,
however, that if i should be. aS | fully
/ expect to be, elected President Of this
just and honorable republic. will not
empower an assistant secretary of the
navy to draft constitution for helpless
neighbors in the West Iudics and jam
! it down their throatS at the point of
bayonets borne by United States ma
rines. Nor will misuse the power of
! the executive to cover with veil of
! secrecy repeated acts of unwarranted
interference in domestic affairs of the
! little republics of the western hemis-
| phere.
Americans Assured Protection
"On the other hand, ] will not or
/ shall not, as you prefer. submit to any
wrong against any American citizen,
with respect to either his life or his
! property by any government. This
statement is made in all solemnity
! with enmity for none and friendship for
all If it particularly applies for Mex
leo, the application has been directed by
the robbery and murder of hundreds of
our own people in that unhappy country.
| This admonltion is not directed ex-
clusively toward our next door neighbor,
to whom we would gladly hold forth a
helping hand. 1t Is intended for plain
notice to every government on the face
Of the earth that the entire resources of
this nation are pledged to maintain the
saCrednesS of American lives and hhe
just protection of American properties.
The line of demarcation between our
attitude and that of our political op-
pOnPntS is perfectly plain. The Presl
dent has made his position clear by his
acts no less than by his words. He
| still holds Article y to be the heart
of the covenant. SO does the Demo
cratic platform, so does the Democratic
nominee. To assume that the nominee
would accept the reservations rejected
| by the President and denounced by the
party platform is to impugn his in =
tegrity.
For myself | do not question for a
moment the truth OF what the Demo
cratic nominee says on this subject. He
has fatty said he is In favor of going
| in on the basis announced by the
! President. | am not. That is the
whole difference between us. but it is
most vital one. because it involves
the disparity between Il world court of
! justice supplemented by world asso-
| citation for conference On the one hand,
and the council of the league on the
other.
THE one is a judicial tribunal to be
| unt,arnaI nv HNaH md lntintta
| pies OF law administered without pas
| sion Of prejudice. The other Is an
association Of diplomats and politicians
whose determinations are sure to be
| Influenced by considerations of expcdi-
euCy and national selfshness
"Ther" are distinctly two types Of
international relationship. One is an
offensive and defensive alliance of great
! powers, like that created at Versailles,
TO impose their will upon the helpless
| peoples of the world. am opposed
TO such scheme as that. I am opposed
TO the very thought of our republic be. .
coming party TO 80 great an outrage
upon other peoples who have as good
right TO seek their political freedom
as we had in 1915.
Ih" other type is a society of free
nations, or an association of free nm
! tions. or league of free nations,
animated by considerations Of right and
Justice, instead of might and self.
interest, and not merely proclaimed an
agency In pursuit Of peace, but so or.
Ganiled and so participated in as 90
make the actual attainment Of peace a
reasonable possibility. Such an asso
citation ] favor with all my heart.
lh his is proposing no new thing.
| ms country is already member 0f
/ such society-the Hague Tribunal
! which, unlike the league of VprsoiIi~s
! * NtiII funCtiOning, and within few
| weeks will resume its committee CO..
| sions under the ohairmanshin of an
American representative.
I'm that body wr have the framo
! work Of TeElly effective Instrumental
| NY Of enduring peace. The fnrt that
the tribunal did not prevent the prrnt
war is, of course. manifested huf tbo
/ cause of the failure is no less annsrant
! Germany, already secretly dctcrminad
/ upon ruthless invasion, was able IN
! prevent the adoption of measures which
might have proved effcctuaI. The con
dition now is wholly different. Not
only Germany, but the entire world
has profted to the extent of an awful
object lesson. This makes vastly
easier the task OF so STRENGTHENING the
Hague tribunal as to render its lust
DEGREES either acceptable or enforce
! able.
1T is not uncommon for the advo !.
Gates Of the league Of Versailles to con-
trast unfayorably the Hague tribunal