Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-25

Senator James "A. Reed, of Mis-
souri,, one Of the Democrats in the
senate who opposes the League of
Nations in any form, delivered an
attack upon the league covenant at
the Auditorium Monday night, being
introduced by Thomas w. Hardwick,
former senator from Georgia, and
being heard by an audience that
filled the parquet floor.
Mr. Hardwick's introduction Of
Senator Reed was a severe criticism
of President Wilson's "autocracy."
He asserted that executive authority
in Washington has been enhanced
at the expense of legislative and jul
dicial authority until there sits in
the White House an autocrat more
arbitrary and despotic than any mon
arch in Europe" He asserted that
free opinion and free speech have
been all but destroyed;' that the
Prussian system Of compulsory mil
itary service in time of peace has
been proposed; that enormous reve-
nues have been squandered in extrav-
agance; that visionary cranks, true
to no principle and steadfast to no
cause, have muddled the affairs of
men and nations until the very civ
ilization Of the world is trembling
upon the brink Iof chaos"
Not since CORVALLIS hauled down
the flag of Great Britain. declared
Mr.. Hardwick, has such victory
been won for American independence
as that in the senate last Friday
when the League Of Nations was de-
feated, and he introduced Senator
Reed as one of the heroes Of that
battle, as "a Democrat who does not
believe in the new freedom who
does not believe that Georgia should
be governed from washington or the
United States from Geneva"
Denounces League
Senator Reed confined himself
strictly to the League of Nations
and President Wilson. ~ He did not
mention the presidential primary in
eo,gia. or the Democratic conven-
ton to BIT held In San Francisco, or
the stand to be taken by the Demo-
cratic party in the presidential cam
paisn. His treatment Of his subject
was entirely individuals defense OF
his reasons for opposing the League
Of Nations in any form-a defense Of
the right of the senate to differ with
the president on the contents Of
treaty, He expressed his regret that
President Wilson is ill. Il would not
mention him at all. he said, but IN
discussing the League OF Nations l
am Obliged to mention him"
The League of Nations, Senator
Reed continued, undertakes to sci
up a super-government superior &c
the government of the United States
whose control of it's own army anC
navy and it's own right of self-de-
tense will be surrendered to the
council of the league. For this rea
son, and because of this surrender
| of our national sovereignty, he de-
| clared, the League of Nations Is
| league of TREASON to the United
| States" and anyone who urges u
to go into it knowing what 1T mean:
| is "a traitor to this republic.
| Presidents Methods
But before going into the detail:
! of the covenant, Senator Reed de
livered an attack upon President vii
sons methods in attempting U
force the League Of Nations through
the senate.
I'VE were told" said he, "to shu
our eyes and open our mouths ant
swallow this sovereign remedy 10
war which Woodrow Wilson had per
fected at Paris. The foreign rela
lions committees of the house AM
senate were given a dinner by tn
president, and a speech was read t.
them by him, and congress was com
manded not to discuss the league
That was when the president mad
his flying visit from Paris. Tn
Democratic national committee wa
| summoned to a dinner, and the pres
ident told them he would like! to Sc
senators who opposed the treat,
hanged on a gibbet as high as Heav
en-, but pointed in the other direc
ton That remark, of course, wa