New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-10
Declares Wilson Purpose
i'm Article X Was to Use
Power of Member Ma
tions to Carry ON Strife
Says System Has
Support of Cox
Demands Rejection of Amy
Covenant Founded ON
Presidents Principles

AUGUSTA, Me-, Sept. 9.-An attacl
on Article x Of the covenant of tn.
League of Nations was made in an adj
dress here tonight by Senator Lodge
OF Massachusetts, who spoke in the in
terest of Republican candidates in the
Maine campaign. He charged tina
President Wilson's purpose was "to use
the power of all nations members o1
the league to carry on war" and added
that "our fight is against that concen
ton of the league.
we ought not to accept any covenant
which in any way could be made te
carry out Mr.. Wilson's purposes" Sen.
ator Lodge said. "Mr. Wilson, it is
true, is not candidate, but we arc
hghtlng wisconsin, which is system
OF government alien to our Constitu.
tlon and our traditions, and Governo,
Cox has promised that if elected he
would carry out Mr.. Wilson's promise
and go into the league.
Senator Harding has said that he
would not go into the league as pre-
sented by Mr.. Wilson. The issue is
drawn, and is so clear that no man car
misunderstood it,"
lnterprets League Pledge
Senator Lodge reiterated the charge
that 1.-THE pledge in the first sentence
OF Article x is an individual pledge OF
the United States to respect and pre-.
serve as against internal aggression
the territorial integrity and existing
political independence of all members
of the league
THE only allusion to the league in
Article X" he said, "is in the second
sentence, and the operation of the
league is there confined to advising
what share each of the nations should
take in sustaining guaranty.
'But this is not all. A great deal is
made Of the unanimity required on
most questions for action by the coun-
Gil. and it is therefore argued that our
single vote will serve as q veto. Theo-
retically that seems conclusive, but in
practice, if we were represented in
the league, it would be impossible to
say what our representative, acting
under the instructions of the President
alone, might commit us to.
Let me illustrate this to you by
calling your attention to the fact that
Mr.: Lloyd George, replying to a depu-
tation of friends of the league. said
that nothing could be done by the
league to prevent, for example, an at
tack Of Russia upon Poland, unless we
had an international force, that is, a
force under the command of the league.
U. S. Rights Imperiled
"This league force, which would be
composed of soldiers of all nations,
could be ordered into war. Undoubted-
~ this is the underlying conception of
at least the European members of the
league, and it is very dangerous one.
ut would be extremely difficult for
US, if the league had an international
force for the preservation of the
worlds peace, to refuse to send our
contingent as determined by the Coun-
Gil and the Assembly. If we did re-
fuse, the cry would go out that we
were false in spirit at least to the
league, Of which we had become a
member, and if this international force
was once established, as it probably
would be under the league, our SOL
diers would then be sent under for
eign command and by the direction Of
foreign powers to take part in foreign
wars.
1--WE should be 80 tangled in the OBJ
legations which the league imposes that
we could not assert our constitutional
rights without breaking moral obliga-
TONS"
Senator Lodges only reference to
Governor Cox was when he said that
Cox had launched two resolutions of
his own with reference to the covenant
of the. League of Nations, but after
launching them he has not discussed
them. perhaps it was because they
amounted to nothing. and perhaps some
one may have told Governor Cox that
fact" said the speaker.
Governor Carl E. Milliken presided at
the meeting. The Massachusetts, Sena-
tor was the only speaker.