The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-18

son in Paris in April, l9l9-long before
he could be suspected of cunning for any
nomination. He said in part
Il feel strongly that any continuation
of the United States in such an allied
relationship would initiate against the /
efficiency of the league of nations. My
reasons are as follows: First: These /
commissions are primarily to secure the |
enforcement of reparation and other
conditions imposed upon the central |
empires. As the United States is not
calling for any form of reparation that |
requires continued enforcement, our
presence on these commissions would be |
for one of the following purposes:
"tAl-To give moral and political sup |
port TO. the, allied governments in meas |
tres generally to their benefit. 1t can |
not be cohoeised that in. the PROSTATE |
condition ofefhe enemy that the allies |
will sre4uire any physical assistance to
lthe enfor cement of their demands In
| this event, the United States will be |
lending itself to the political and finan-
cial interests of other governments dur
| ing peace, a situation that must be en-
tirely repulsiYe. to oiir national interests,
traditions. and IDEALS. -.
! "(Bl-Another objective might be that
I'VE should remainsgin. these commissions
with a view to. securing justice and mod
GRAFTON in the demands of the allies
against the central empires. We would
thus be thrust into the repulsiYe position
of the defender of cur late enemy, in or
/ der to secure what we would conceive to
be constructive and statesmanlike re-
habliationa in Europe. Our experience
during the last few months has shown
us bitterly that we thus subject our
selves to complaint and attack from the
4 allied governments and such a continued
relationship should only breed the most
acute international friction"
Mr.. Hoover goes on to say that the
lpractical result of our experience already
is that the Americans who sit on such
commissions if they don't acquiesce and
assist III enforcing any propositions from
/, various government officials, become inn
mediately and personally subject to at
tack as being inmical to their interests
and with the powerful engines of propa
ganda which they employ in Europe and
in our own country, no such man can en-
dure for long"
1t was known to newspaper correspond
ents at the Paris peace conference that
, Mr.. Hoover felt particularly embittered
over what he believed to be a hostile
British propaganda directed toward him.
and / have no doubt he had this in mind
when he wrote the foregoing passage in
! his letter.
Mr. Hoover's communication does not
, !oppose a league of nations but says: If
we can bring to an early end our whole
, relationship to the political combinations
! in Europe which grew up before and
! during the war and can lend our strength
TO the league of nations that body viii
: gain stability and Importance which ii
! could not otherwise attain"
= Mr. Hoover sees the league as "A strong
: and Independent court of appeal that will
! have our authority" He concludes with
this observation:
Il am convinced that there has grown
up since the armistice the policy, perhaps
. unconscious but nevertheless effective
of dragging the United States into every
i political and economic question in Europe
! and constantly endeavoring TO secure
pledges of economic and political support
> from us in return for our agreeing I,
= matters which we consider for their com
e mon good, where we have no interest an,
constantly using us as a stalking hors,
i economically and politically, solely in tn
II interests of internal political group
). within the allied governments Thes
r detectives and interests may be perfect
n ~ justified from their point of view, bu
II it forces us into violations of every in
n stinct and into situations that our owl
people Will never stand. For instance.
= don't see how we can remain in thes
% enforcement commissions unless we par
70 ticipate in the military enforcement witt
A its enormous cost and risk and the ten
% dency will always be to exact the politi
p cal objective with the military strength
10 of the United States as a background"
= The foregoing is a conception o
r. Americanism which has been So closel.
l. associated with Republican argument il
the senate that regardless of the extrem
: point of view of Senators Borah am
Johnson, it viii probably find its way i
the Republican platform at Chicago.
! The Democrats are a bit disappointe
that is the Wilson Democrats-to fin
Mr. Hoover not going along with tn
mind of the President on the league O
nations, but there are plenty of Demo
4 Gratis who think the Hoover point o
view harmonzes better with the Brya
y idea and western democracy. They ar
not ready to give Mr.. Hoover up as Re
publican. And the non partisan friend
of Mr.. Hoover only smiled-they az
slowly proving Mr. Hoover eligible 70
the Republican nomination. which the
seem to think is a surer way to VIII
> though 1T will be noticed they are no
closing the door to a Democratic nomina
. ton altogether