Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-12
GOV. COX HURLS
NINE QUEST|ONSAT
EX-PRES|DENT TAFT

Democratic Candidate at St.
Louis Recalls League of Ma
tions Statements of Judge.
ST. LOUIS, October 12.-Gov Cox
in his address here last night at the
Coliseum propounded nine speclnc
questions to former President Taft
bearing upon the latter's support OF
senator Harding, republican presl-
Dental nominee.
The democratic presidential candl-
date gave numerous quotations from
Mr.. Taft's statement and past speeches
in support of the league. The gov
ernor asked whether Senator Hard
ing and the former President were
not joined together ''in deliberate de-
ception."
.'Ex-President Taft" Gov. Cox told a
throng of thousands in the Coliseum.
lin a recent statement discusses the
proposal of adopting the league Of
nations by leaving article y out OF
it. and responds to the suggestion
with these words: That is exactly
what we want l should like to ask
Judge Taft these questions:
Questions Propounded.
Il. Did you not. in an article to the
Covenanter, under the title, The Prin-
ciple We Fought For discuss article
y in these words: The, law of the
league with the sanction of the power
of the league, thus forbds the viola
ton of the international command
ment, Thou shalt not steal by force
1t is the embodiment of the principle
that we entered and fought this war
to maintain?
''2. Did you not also in the same
article say, The Monroe doctrine, as
originally declared by Monroe, was
article Y limited to the aggression Of
non-American nations against coun-
tries of the western hemisphere?
"3. Did you not, in the same article.
also use these words: Article X is
one of the great steps forward pro-
vded for in the league for the secur-
ing of general peace?
"a. You say that the league to
enforce peace. of which you were
chairman. had No article x in it's prop
osition. Shouldn't you have been
more frank with the American people
by telling them that your plan only
had four articles in it and that your
substitute for article X was article
III? Can you deny that in your ar
ticle y you provided for the joint use
of military forces of the signatory
powers in event of violation of the
conditions of the covenant?
Refers to Legal Obligations.
''5. Did not your proposal carry
definite legal obligation to employ
forces, and in this respect was it not
very much more drastic than article
y of the league?
&c. You say that Senator Harding
has already voted twice for the league
with reservations. but you failed to
say that your candidate within the
last two weeks very definitely an
nounced that if he had it to do over
again he would not vote for the
league, even with the Lodge reserva-
lions.
~. You say that Senator Harding
promis s that as President he will
indorse the covenant without article
X. To whom has he given the prom
Use? Certainly not to Senators John
son and Borah. Every one knows that
ne has n given it to the American
people. Has he given it to you? If So
IS it not so much in conflict with
Senator Harding's recent statement
that he proposes from now on to turn
his back on the league-with or with
out reservations-that it joins both
you and him together in deliberate
deception?
IS. Assuming that the pledge has
been given to you, then may we not
answer it with your own words,
spoken at a luncheon given by the
civic organizations of California in
which you said:
AhS SChliCiuCh al Tie senate
who are setting out to defeat this
league of nations are those I would
not trust overnight?
"9. How do you reconcile your re-
cent statement that the President was
responsible for the failure to ratify
your Metropolitan Opera House speech
March 5. 1919. as follows:
If the President insists, as I hope
he will, that the league be incorpor-
ated in the peace treaty. and brings it
back, responsibility for postponing
peace Is with the body that refuses
to ratify it, and also with that part
of your speech delivered January,
1920. at the Academy of Music, Brook
lyn, which read:
ct am inclined to think that the
persons who prepared the reserva-
lions. as whole, were shooting down
the Avenue at the White House'"Y
Were Dual Targets.
Judge Taft and Senator Harding
were dual objects of Gov. Cox's fire
. yesterday here and in Illinois. In all
four of the governors speeches to
crowds at Springfield, Litchfield and
East st. Louis, Ill, and to his
Coliseum crowd last night Gov. Cox
emphasized that between him and
Senator Harding was now the clear
cut issue of league or no league"
"A vote for the senatorial candidate
means vote against the league,
while vote for me means one for
the league" the governor declared,
denouncing the senator's position as
provincial, selfish. unholy and, in
fact, unchristian.'
Gov. Cox was the center of milling
throngs here after a day of large
reception in southern Illinois, and
was welcomed in East st. Lotus by
screeching locomotive and factory
whistles and a large station crowd,
which included Gov. Gardner of Mis-
souri,.