New-York tribune., 1920-10-04

Opposition to Covenant
Is Bitterly Denounced
as Gross Ignorance
and Impudent Audacity'
America First Plea I.
Called Prussianisn
Administration Irritated
by Utterances of Cox
on His Western Trip

on His Western Trip
From The Tr:bune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3.-Presi-
dent Wilson tonight entered the
campaign on behalf of Governor
Cox by issuing an appeal to "My
Fellow Countrymen," IN which he
expressed his satisfaction that a
genuine national referendum" was
to be held on the League of Nations
at the polls in November, and called
upon the voters to approve the
league las organized" in the Yer
sailles treaty
To-night's statement was the first
Of a series Of appeals which Mr..
Wilson will make between now and
Election Day. The Presidents
physical condition will not permit
him to deliver any speeches for the
Democratic nominee, and his alb
sence from active participation here
tofore in the campaign has caused
the Cox managers considerable
worry.
Judge t. H. Moore, Governor
Cox's pre-convention campaign
manager. came to Washington last
week and arranged for President
Wilson and the Administration Off
cials under him to go TO the assist
ance of the Democratic nominee. He
conferred with nearly every one Of
prominence IL the Administration,
and the plan of having Mr.. Wilson
issue series of appeals to the
voters resulted.
League Held Paramount
In his opening appeal tonight the
President declared that approval of
the League of Nations as contained
in the Versailles treaty is the para
mount issue of the campaign. It is
the hone Of the world Mr.. Wilson
declared, and he said that the whole
world is waiting for the result, az
it would watch 'to see what its
future is to be-
The President expressed amaze
ment at what he called the gross
ignorance and impudent audacity"
Of the league opponents. and he COM
pared the issue of Americanism
wit. rruss.~nsm Me-. like himself
who have studied history all their
lives, the President said, know that
Americanism as advocated by oppo-
nents of the league has no founda-
ton whatever in any of the authon-
tic traditions Of the governmer.
They would substitute America
for Prussia in the policy of isolation
and defiant segregation, Mr.. Will
son said.
The President appealed for approval
OF the Versailles League OF Nations at
the polls, so that the United States
would not have "a subordinate role in
the affairs of the world Although
the President mentioned no names in
the appeal, statements made by Sena-
tor Harding and other Wilson league
opponents that the United States would
be drawn into war under Article x Mr..
Wilson called absolutely false"
There is nothing in the league cove
rant," he said, that impairs the right
of Congress to use independent judg-
ment and refuse to go to war"
VIII Reply to Harding
In his future appeals the President
will make detailed arguments for The
league and reply to the attacks made
upon the league by Senator Harding
and other opponents. it is expected.
From now on. it is believed. Mr. VIII
son will direct the defense Of the
league, and viii take charge OF the ef-
fort to secure approval of it at the
polls, leaving Governor Cox 70 play {
secondary role in the campaign so far
as the League Of Nations is concerned
and to give more prominence to other
issues.
The Presidents decision to take UP
the cudgels for the league according
to political Observers here, was as
much the result Of dissatisfaction with
the manner in which Governor Cox has
been making the fight for approval of
the league a il was his desire to 60 TO
the assistance Of the Democratic nomi-
nee.
Dissatisfied With Cox
Administration officials who are
close TO the White House have made
little effort to conceal their dissatis-
faction with the manner in which Gov
ernor Cox's campaign was being CON
Quoted since the Democratic candidate
started on his trip West. Cabinet
members and other hieh officials of the
Administration have privately voiced
criticism of the way the Cox campaign
was being manaoed, and some of the
utterancss Of the Democratic nominee
himself on the stump have not met
with the approval Of the Administra-
ton leaders
The Administration, TO a great ex-l
tent, has held aloof from the cara