Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-22
&c. O.P. GOES BACK
ON ITS OWN MEM
Evans WOolIen Makes Strong
Plea for League.

tween Senator HARDING re1ecuon OIL Lne
present League of Nations, on the one
hand, and Governor Cox's acceptance
thereof on the other, said Evans Wooden,
president Of the Fletcher Trust & Savings
Company, in an address before the noon
luncheon Of the Indiana Democratic Club
today.
Further issue, he declared, is the effort
Of the Republicans to arrange some future
league, and the proposal of the Demo-
Gratis to enter the present league.
The League of Nations, he declared,
is ian agreement to promote interna-
tionaI cooperation in an effort to achieve
peace and security
THE league of Nations Is an under
taking to apply permanently in our re-
lations to the other nations of the world
the great lesson of the war, namely that
victory is the result Of cooperation" Mr..
' W oollen said.
"Was that not the lesson of the food
administration and of the other cooper
ating instrumentalities
was it not also the lesson of the COM
mand united under Marshall Foch?
And as Of victory in war. so of vic
tory over war.
1T will be achieved ultimately by CO.
operation, by face-to face conference, and
the League of Nations is an instrument
tally for service in the direction OF
that ultimate victory over war.
NAMES REPUBLICANS
WHO FAVORED 1T.
such in brief was the covenant of
the League of Nations which the Presi-
dent brought from Paris and submitted
to the Senate
There this great plan for the amel-
ioration of the suffering of the world
was degraded by tgnoble passion and
hypocrisy
"A packed foreign relations commit
tee conspired to bedevil the covenant
and befuddle the public.
This conspiracy had no backing by
the most outstanding men in the Re
publican party.
Former Attorney General Wicker
sham, who said of the Knox resolution
for a separate peace with Germany, that
il was an effort as discreditable as 1t
was futile: Senator McCumber who said
that we had deserted our allies and our
cause; President Lowell of Harvard, one
Of our foremost writer's on Government;
former President Taft dependable for
conservatism; former Justice Hughes,
one of our ablest constitutional lawyers;
former Secretary OF State Elihu Root,
our greatest Republican, who has spent
the summer-~on the other side in the
service of the league; Herbert Hoover, a
great authority on international Affairs
none of these was for scuttling and re-
pudiation; all favored the league and
maintained the attitude of statesmen.
They criticised the covenant, TO be
sure, some of them severely. but their
criticism was constructive and helpful.
MANY of their suggestions, made when
the first draft was under consideration,
were embodied in the final revision.
president LOwelPs suggestion that do
nestle questions be specifically excluded
from the leagues jurisdiction was
adopted.
ssSrr. Taft's suggestion about the Mon
roe Doctrine was adopted
tAfr. Hughes and Mr.. Root criticised
the lack in the first draft Of provision
for withdrawal and, accordingly, provi-
sion for withdrawal on the two years
notice suggested by President Lowell
was adopted
Indeed. it is said that later Oscar
Straus, having gone to Paris for the pur-
pose, secured advance copies of clauses
then proposed for inclusion in the final
draft Of the covenant, cabled them to
Messrs. Root and Taft and received in
reply suggestions which were adopted.
THAT was patriotic service. cooper
ton for the common good, and 1t must
be influential with the openminded that
the League these outstanding Republi-
cans helped to improve has now been
abandoned by the Republican party
which has won, thereby. the support OF
Borah and Hiram johnson, of William
Randolph Hearst and George Sylvester
Viereck.
BE BREAKS DOWN
ANOTHER OBJECTION.
zone objection is that under the agree
ment not 10 resort to war until three
months after dispute has been aarbi-
trated or inquired into by the Leagues
council. we would stand defenseless in
the presence of a Mexican border raid.
"To the contrary, nation disregard
ing its obligations under the covenant,
rs Mexico would. in beginning an attack,
thereby and thereupon surrenders It's
rights and the attacked nation is in
stantly free for self defense.
THE objection most insistently offered
is that our sons, at the order OF the
league, will have to fight the battles Of
Europe
ITO the contrary. we answer. first,
that the covenant Of the league was
framed and accepted in the presence Of
the fact, with notice OF which the whole
world is charged, that under our con-
stitution no power can order our sons
into battle except our own Congress.
This is not to say that Congress in
any instance would be free TO disregard
either our legal or moral obligations as
a member Of the league, but 1t Is to say
that Congress in every instance would
be free to determine in its own unlimited
discretion what were and what were
not our obligations .
I'VE answer. second, waving for the
argument the protection of our consti-
tuition, that the league has no power to
order any soldiers. to fight any battles,
or to order any nation to contribute
soldiers
.aro the contrary, the only provisions
are, first, that in case Of attack on a
members territorial integrity, the cOun-
ell shall advise on the means to be used
by the other members; and second, that
in case of a covenant breaking resort to
war by one member, the council shall
recommend what forces the other mem
bers shall contribute.
Now, while there is still in our ears
the cry of the great Britisher that this
|. torn and bleeding earth is%calling for
he help of America; now, In this three
<andredth year since the signing of the
1a5k yfiower compact and in the very month
4 s6A eof. we wish a mandate from the
kican people that another compact
*<k med. the covenant of the League of
III -, and then the cry will have been
ans\Sred, the Mayfower will have re-
turned so Europe bearing a gift of ines
timable value to the world. a gift that
viii enrich and of nothing deprive the
giver"