The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-28
Text of the Address of Homer Cummings
Temporary the National Democratic Convention
Delivered Opening Noon Today Pacific lime

Is a fact. We must either enter 1t or
remain out Of 1t.
What nations have actually signed
and ratified the treaty?
Brazil, Bolivia, Great Britain, Can.
ada, Australia, South Africa, New
Zealand, India, Czecho-Slovakia, Gau-
temaa, Liberia, Panama, Peru, Uru-
quay, Siam, Greece, Poland, Japan,
Italy, France and Belgium.
What neutral states, invited TO join
the league, have actually done so?
Norway, Venezuela the Netherlands,
Denmark. Colombia, Chile, Argentina,
Paraguay, Persia, Salvador, Spain,
Sweden and Switzerland.
Even China will become member
when she ratifies the Austrian treaty.
Germany has signed and Is prepar.
ing to take the place which awaits
her in the league Of nations.
What nations stand outside? Revo-
lutionary Mexico, Bolshevist Russia,
States Of America.
1t is not yet too late. Let us stand
with the forces Of civilization. The
choice Is plain. 1t Is between the dem.
ocratic partys support Of the league
Of nations, with Its program Of peace, j
disarmament and world fraternity, ana i
the republican party's platform Of re.
pudiation, provincialism and world i
chaos.
Equality Of Voting
There is great pretense Of alarm
because the United States has but one
vote in the International assembly,
against the six votes of Great Brf- Il
4 tain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa and India. This popular
argument against the league Of nations
is as insincere as It is superficial. II
ignores the fact that the executive
council, and not the assembly. is the
governing body of the league and
that our country is one Of the five
countries having permanent member
ship in the council. The colonial votes
exist only in the assembly.
Nor should we forget that France
has only one vote; Italy but one vote;
and Japan has but one vote. If there
were any injustice in the arrangement
surely these nations would have sensed
It and objected to It. No affirmative
action can be taken in any essentiaf
matter without unanimous vote or
all members of the council Of the
league. No decision Of the league, If
America Joined 1t, could be made ef !
fective or even promulgated without
our consent. Like every other nation 4
we have veto power upon every
resolution or act of the league. We
can be involved in no enterprise except
of our own choosing; and II we are
not satisfied with the league, we can
sever our connection with it upon two
years notice. The risk exists only
in the imagination, the service Ia in
calculable.
Moreover. the United States insisted
, that Cuba, Haiti, Liberia, Panama.
!, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala
should each be given a vote. as we'll
as the nations of South America. great
and small. Including the nations which
are bound by vital interests to the
United States, or, indeed, directly un-
der our tutelage. we have more votes
in the league Of nations than any
, other nation. How could we, In good
faith, urge that these nations be
given voice and deny voice to
such self-governing nations as Canada.
New Zealand and the rest which rela-
, lively speaking, made far more sacr;-
fices In the war than our own coun-
try? 1t Is desirable that all countries
should have an opportunity to be
, heard in the league; and the safety of
). each nation resides in the fact that
no action can be taken without the
consent of all.
, Responsibility for Defeat Of the Treaty
, 1t was the design of Senator Lodge
from the outset, to mutilate the treaty
, and to Illustrate the purposes of tho
administration. And Yet Senator Lodge,
. with the help of the irreconcilables,
having torn the treaty to tatters and
, thrown its fragments in the face of the
world. has the effrontery to suggest.
in his address at Chicago. that the
president blocked ratification and post
= poned peace.
, The trouble with the treaty OF
peace is that It was negotiated by
, democratic president. 1t is not diff
. cult to assess the responsibility for
its defeat The responsibility rests, no,
. upon its friends, but upon its enem.
les.
. The foreign relations committee, i'm
, mediately following the last election,
/, was reorganized with a personnel con-
i sisting OF the open foes Of the treaty.
q Amongst the number was Senator
Borah, who declared that he would
, not be for a league of nations were
. the savior Of mankind to advocate 1t.
Senator Johnson, Senator Knox, and
=. Senator Moses, whose hatred Of the
, president amounts to an obsesson.
were also members; and Senator
, Lodge was chairman
, The treaty was referred to the COM
= mittee thus studiously prepared for
3. its hostile reception. The members or
/ this committee adopted every subter-
,. fuge to misrepresent the document
!. which they were supposed to be con-
sidering as statesmen. Deputations
:, of foreign born citizens were brought
to Washington in an effort to color
and exaggerate the impression Of pop
q ular opposition. s~
= The senate had even begun the dis.
It cussion of the treaty months before its
Y negotiation was concluded, and did not
S terminate its debate until nine months
.. after thu submission of the fraatv Ii