Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-06-09


cans of the Senate, perceiving the dan
gers of the League, determined to re-
Sist MIR. Wilson's demand even at the
cost OF delaying the treaty Of -, peace ace
thing necessary was TO have the people
understand the treaty. that they might
realize what II meant and what II
threatened. So the long debate began
and II has lasted for more than a year.
At the outset that portion of the peo-
pie who wished an instantaneous and
unqualified acceptance OF covenant
which most OF them had never read
the press and other methods of obtain
ing publicity and thus were able 10
keep up continual or! for inimedi-
ate ratification The vocal part OF the
community felt almost universally, as
they listened to each others voices.
that the whole country was with them.
but they forgot the great inarticulate
masses of the people who went silent
who did not write letters 10 the news
papers or publish circulars or spend
millions in spreading their views
through powerful organs and active
their country and thought first OF the
interests OF America. The debate in
the Senate spread to them They
read the speeches. they listened to the
important, they began TO read and
discuss the covenant of the League
themselves. in the street, by the fire
sides, wherever men and women meet
together: They began TO understand
what il meant They saw it was an
alliance and not a league for peace
They saw that il did not mention the
Hague Conventions which we all de-
sired 10 nave restored as foundations
for further extensions. did nothing
for the development OF international
law. nothing for a world court and ju-
dlcial decisions. and nothing looking
towards an agreement as TO dealing
with non-justiciable questions. These
real advances toward promoting
peace, these constructive measures
were all dlsregarded and the only court
mentioned was pushed into an obscure
corner The people began TO perceive
with an intense clearness that this al
lance, silent as 10 real peace agree
ments, contained clauses which threat
ened the very existence OF the United
States as an independent power
threatened its sovereignty, threatened
its peace, threatened its life. The
masses Of the people became articu-
late. Public opinion steadily changed
and today the number OF Americans
who would be willing TO accept the
covenant Of the League of Nations
just as the President brought il back
from Europe is negligible. The Amer
lance with foreign nations proposed
by the President. The President
meantime has remained infiexible. He
is determined to have that treaty as
that imperious demand the people
Will reply in tones which cannot be
misunderstood. No man who thinks
OF America first need fear the an
swer.
The Famous Article 10
Mr.. Wilson said in a recent letter to
Senator Hitchcock: For my own
part l am not willing TO trust TO the
counsel OF diplomats the working out
of any salvation of the world from
he said this in behalf of an alliance
whose representatives will all be dip
lomats and politicians. They will all
act IN behalf OF the interests Of their
have nothing judicial about them.
strip the League of every clause
which involves the action Of political
representatives. in the Assembly and
ticle in which the diplomats Of the
League as such will have no power
.Tnat is the famous Article 10 Most
OF the League covenant was prepared
by General SHUTS of South Africa,
but Article 10 was the work of the
President Of the United States II
IS true this article is free from diplo-
mats. but il rests entirely upon naked
force. In that way peace is to be pre-
served and the nations freed from war
by multi plying the opportunities for
the use OF force. Each individual ma
ton is bound by Article y TO go 10
war for the protection of the terrific
rial integrity and the political indie
pendence of every other nation in the
world at the time of signature: that
Is. Tor. the protection of States some
| tablished. for the protection of bound
aries which no man can define. We
were 10 give such a guarantee and any
OF the countries in the League in the
have demanded our armed assistance.
and our soldiers and sailors must then
have gone forth at the command of
foreign countries unless we shattered
solemn moral obligation. The Repub-
: leans of the Senate, no matter what
their future fate might be. were de-
termined that the covenant containing
be ratified. II became every DAY
clearer to them that the alliance called
League of Nations instead of being
guarantee for the worlds peace was
peace. AS We studied it-and a ma jor-
ity OF Senators desired to have some
League If possible which should be a
genuine League Of Peace-we found
that IL dragged US not only into every
dispute and every war in Europe and
in the rest of the world but that our
soldiers and sailors might be forced
10 give their lives in quarrels not
Governments
II also appeared that our domestic
questions. like immigration. could be
interfered with, that the interpreta-
tion of the Monroe doctrine was to be
left 10 the decision of the League. that
we were to be made participants in
the outrageous disposition of Shan
tung which robbed friendly nation
and gave the proceeds of the robbery
to her worst enemy, and that finally
VIC were to have in the Assembly of
the League only one vote to Great
Britain's six. These provisions were
all intolerab BILE. Reservations were
adopted which relieved US from every
obligation under Article Y. which took
all our domestic questions completely
out of the jurisdiction of the League,
which once and for all placed the
Monroe doctrine beyond any interfer-
ence by Europe or any foreign Power
and which refused our assent to the
made it impossible to subject the
United States to the proposed in
equality in voting power for we pro-
foundly believed that the United
States must never take part in any
council of the nations where her vote
was not equal to that of any other
power represented. Some OF us were
deeply con. inced that there ought TO
De DO League at all and that absolute
safety gould be obtained in no other
believed that the reservations 1 have
described would protect the United
states aga1nst the perils of the cove
nant If We joined the League. We
were an nrmly united in our deter
m,naticn that the League as submit
ted by Mr.. Wilson must never pass.
We were also agreed that Mr.. Will
sons League with what he called
lnterpretative reservations" or with
anything those obedient to him an
proved. i.rcf