The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-08-07
GOVERNOR cox's ADDRESS
CONTINUED from First Page

over the world. The house of civi1i-
cation is to be put in order. The su-
preme issue of the century is before
rs and the nation that halts and de-
lays is playing with fire. The finest
impulses of humanity. rising above
national lines, merely seek to make
another horrible war impossible. In
der the old order of International an
archy war came overnight, and the
world was on fire before we knew it.
1t sickens our senses to think of an
other. We saw one conflict into which
modern science brought new forms of
destruction in great guns, subma-
rines, airships and poison gases. 1t
is no secret that our chemists had
perfected, when the contest came TO
a precipitate close, gases SO deadly
that whole cities could be wiped out,
armies destroyed, and the crews of
battleships smothered. The public
prints are filled with the opinions of
military men that in future wars the
method, more effective than gases or
bombs, will be the employment of the
germs of disease. carrying pestilence
and destruction. Any nation prepar-
ed under these conditions. as Ger
many was equipped in 1914, could
conquer the world in year.
1t is planned now to make this i'm
possible. A definite plan has been
agreed upon. The league of nations
is in operation. A very important
work, under its control, just complet-
ed, was participated in by the Hon.
Elihu Root, secretary of state under
the Roosevelt administration. At a
meeting of the council of the league
of nations, Feb. IL, an organizing
committee of twelve of the most
eminent jurists in the world was Sc
lected The duty of this group was
to devise a plan for the establish
ment of permanent court of inter-
national justice. as branch of the
league. This assignment has been
concluded by unanimous action. This
augurs well for world progress. The
question is whether we shall or shall
not join in this practical and humane
movement. President Wilson. as our
representative at the peace table, en-
tered the league in our name, in SO
far as the executive authority per-
,mitted. Senator Harding, as the re-
publican candidate for the presidency,
proposes in plain words that we re-
main out of it. AS the democratic
candidate, | favor going in. Let US
analyze Senator Harding's plan of
making a German-American peace,
and then calling for "new relation
ship among nations" assuming for
the purpose of argument only, that
the perhdious hand that dealt with
Germany would possess the power or
influence to draw twenty-nine nations
away from plan already at work,
and induce them to retrace every step
and make a new beginning. This
would entail our appointing another
commission to assemble with those
selected by the other powers. With
the Versailles instrument discarded,
the whole subject of partitions and
divisions of territory on new lines
would be reopened. The difficulties in
this regard, as any fair mind appre-
ciates, would be greater than they
were at the peace session, and we
must not attempt to convince our
selves that they did not tray the gen
Jus, patience, and diplomacy of states
men at that time. History will say
that great as was the allied triumph
in war. no less a victory was achiev-
ed at the peace table. The republican
proposal means dishonor. world con-
fusion and delay. It would keep us
in permanent company with Ger
many, Turkey and Mexico. 1t would
entail, in the ultimate. more real IN.
jury than the war itself. The demo.
cratic position on the question. as ex-
pressed in the platform, is:
eve advocate immediate ratiica,
ton of the treaty without reserva-
tons which would impair its essen.
tial integrity, but do not oppose the
acceptance of any reservation max
ing clearer or more specific the obi
cations of the United States to the
league associates"
The first duty of the new admins
tration clearly will be the ratification
of the treaty. The matter should b,
approached without thought of tn
bitterness of the past The pubiii
verdict will have been rendered. ant
] am confident that the friends o
world peace as it will be promoted b.
the league, will have in numbers tn,
constitutional requisite to favorabl,
senatorial action. The captious ma,
say that our platform reference t,
reservations is vague and indefinite
It's meaning, in brief. is that we shall
state our Interpretation of the cove
nant as matter of good faith to GU
associates and as a precauticl
against any misunderstanding in tn,
future. The point is, that after tn,
people have spoken. the league will b
in the hands of its friends in the Sen
ate, and safe index as to what the,
will do is supplied by what reserva
stions they have proposed in the past
Some months ago. in a contributes