The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-04
PRESIDENT ISSUES HIS FIRST DIRECT
 APPEAL ID PEOPLE
Says Assertions That Article X Would Make It Possible for Other Nations to Lead Us
 Into War Is False
Rx Assoc;ated pr.s.

people. urged the indorsement of the League of Nations issue at the election, and declared: "The whole world will wait for your verdict in November. as it would wnit for an intimation of what it's future is to
 be.-
 The President characterized as "ab- solutely false" assertions that Article x of the League covenant would make ii possible for other nations to lead the United States into war. There wa: nothing in the covenant. he said which in the least interferes with ol inipairs the right of Congress to de clare war or not declare war accord ing to it's own independent judgment | as our constitution provides
 My fellow countrymen. was the Presidents method of addressing his | communication to the people. It con- tained no mention of presidential can didatcs by name, but was confined to a brief defenes of Article 10. and crit icism of those who he declared had | grossly misled" the public with re- gard to lhe treaty. The President said ! that those who had spent their lives, as ! he had fin familiarizing themselves with the history and traditions and pol icies of the nation must stand amazed at the gross ignorance and impudent audacity which has led them to at- tempt to invent an .Americanism, ! which fas no foundation whatever in any, of the authentic traditions of the government.
 TEXT OF APPEAL
 The text of the appeal follows: My Fellow-Countrymen: The issues of the present campaign are such tre- mendous importance and of such far reaching significance for the influence of the counsry and the development of aits future relations and l have neces. sarily had so much to do with their de- yelopment that l am sure you will think it natural and proper that ] should address to you q few words con- cerning them. Everyone who sincerely believes in government by the people must rejoice at the turn affairs have taken in regard to this campaign This ,.sectioa.gs *o be a genuine national ref erendufr The determination of great policy upon which the influence and authority of the United States in the world must depend is not to be left to groups of politicians of either party, but is to be referred to the people themS selves for sovereign mandate to their representatives. They are to instruct
 
 done
 "The chief question that is put to you is. of course this: Do you want your country's honor vindicated and the treaty of Versailles ratified? Do you in particular approve of the League or Nations as organized and empowered in that treaty? And do you wish to see the United States play ts responsible part in 1t. You have been grossly mis- I1. T tla fra a r. ticuIarly with regard to the character of the League of Nations. by those who have assumed the serious responsibility
 of opposing 1t.
 GROSS IGNORANCE
 '.They have gone SO far that those who have spent their lives. as I have spent my life in familia rizing themselves with the history and traditions and policies or the nation must stand amazed at the. gross icnorsnce and inpudent audacity which has led them to attempt to invent an Americanism of their own, which has no foundation whatever in any of the au- thentic traditions of the government
 America nisrn as they conceive It reVerses inc whole process of the last few trag- ical years It would substitute America for Prussia in the policy of isolation and defiant segregation Their conception of the dignity of the nation and its in- terest Is that VIC should stand apart and watch opportunities to advance our own interests involve ourselves In no responsibility for the maintenance of the
 right of the world or for the con- tinued vindication Of any of the things for which we entered the war to fight. The conception of the great creators of the government was absolutely op-
 posite to this. They thought of America as the light of the world. as created to
 lead the world in the assertion of the
 oy1d Ike tUl1t nf
 nations: as destined to set responsible example to all the world of what free
 government is and can do for the mani tenance of right standards both national and international This light the op- ponents of the league would quench. They
 would relegate the United States to a
 subordinate role in the affairs of the
 world.
 WHY FEAR RESPONSIBILITY?
 s'Why should we be afraid of respon-
 abilities which we are qualified to sus-
 tain. and which the whole of our history
 has constituted a promise to the world
 we would sustain This is the most
 momentous issue that has ever been pre-
 sented to the people of the United States. and do not doubt that the hope Of
 the whole world will be verified by an
 absolute assertion by the voters of the
 couhtry of tae determination of the
 United States to live tip to all the great expectations which they created by en-
 tering the war and enabling the other
 great nations of the world to bring 1t
 to . victorious conclusion. to the con-
 fusion of PrussiaEism and eyerythng z
 that arises out of Prussanism. Surely
 we shall not fail to keep the promise
 sealed in the death and sacrifice of our
 soldiers sailoh and marines who await
 our verdict beneath the sod of France. Those who do not care to tell you
 the truth about the League of Nations
 tell you that Article x of the covenant
 of the league would make 1t possible
 for other nations to lead us into war. |. whether we wiiled it by our own in-
 dependent Judgment or not This is ab-
 solutely false. There is nothing in the
 covenant which in the least interferes
 with or impairs the right of Congress to declare war and not declare war,
 according to it's own Independent judg- ment, as our constitutioh provides Those
 who drew the covenant of the league
 were careful that it should contain
 nothing which interfered with or i'm paired the constitutional arrangements of
 any of the great nations which are to constitute it's members. They would have
 heen amazed and indignant at the things that arc now being ignorantly said about
 this great and sincere document
 The whole world xill wait for your
 verdict in November as it would wait for an intimAtioa ef uhat its fatnrs is
 to bA~