Norwich bulletin., 1920-10-04
Wilson Appeals for
 League Of Nations
Urges the People to Endorse the League Issue at the Election in November = Calls It a Referendum.


 in his first campaign appeal tonight made directly to the peop4e, urged the of the league of nations is- sue q the election, and declared the whole world will wait for your verdict in November as it would wait for an animation of what it's future is to be-
 The President characterized as "abso- lutely false" assertions that article tenf of the league covenant would make it possible for other nations to lead the United States into war. There was noth-l ing in the covenant, he said, which in the least interferes with or impairs the right oe congress to declare war or not declare war according to its own inde- pendent judgment, as our, constitution provides"
 My fellow countrymen,' was the pres iden't method of addressing his commun- cation to the people. It contained no mem ton of presidential candidates by name. but was confined to brief defense of Article Ten, and criticism of those, who he declared had grossly misled" the public with regard to the treaty.
 The president said that those who had spent their lives as he had, "in familiar izing themselves with the history and traditions and policies of the nation must stand amazed at the gross ignorance and impudent audacity which has led them to attempt to invent an 'Americansm, which has no foundation whatever in any of the authentic traditions of the govern. | ment"
 The text of the appeal follows: | My Fellow Countrymen:
 'The issues of the present campaign ar,
 of such tremendous importance and O
 such far-reaching significance for the in | f1uence of the country and the develop
 ment of its future relations, and I hay, | necessarily had so much to do with thei | development, tElt I am sure, you vii think it natural and proper that shoul, | address to you a few words concerninI them. Everyone who sincerely believe | in government by the people must rejoic at the turn affairs have taken in regar
 to this campaign. This election is to b l a genuine national Tsferndum. The de
 termination of great policy upon whic
 the influence and authority of the Unit
 ed States in the world must depend not to be left to groups of politicians 0
 either party, but is to be referred to tn
 people themselves for a sovereign man
 date to their representatives. They ar
 to instruct their own government wha
 they wish done.
 The chief question that Is put to yo
 is, of course, this: Do you want you
 country's honor vindicated and the treat | of Versailles ratified? Do you in pal
 ticular approve of the league of nation as organized and empowered in tha treaty? And do you wish to see the Uni ed States play it's responsible part in il You have been grossly misled with T, ! q gard gad to. the treaty, and particularly wit resNsS inc proposed character of tf . league ofsnations by those who ha, assumed the serious responsibility of O, posing it. They have gone so far tn: those who have spent their lives, As have spent mine, in familiarizing then selves with the history and traditions ar l policies of the nation, must stand anna ed at the gross ignorance and inpude-
 audacty which has led them to attem to invent an Americanism' of their ow which has no foundation whatever in ar of the authentic traditions of the goverl I ment.
 g "Americansmeas they conceive it r verses the whole process of the last fe tragical years. It would substitute Anne lca for Prussia in the policy of isola tic t and defiant segregation Their conce tion of the dignity of the nation and :. interest is that We should stand ana
 and watch for opportunities to advan . our own interests, involve ourselves in I t responsibility for the maintenance of u right in the world for the continued vi
 dication of any of the things for whit
 We entered the war to fight. The coI
 ceptiof of the great creators of the 20 ' ernment was absolutely opposite to tn
 They thought of America as the light : the world, as created to lead the yor s | in the assertion of the rights of peon1 : and the rights of free nations as desti t ed to set a responsible example to z n the world of what free government Y hand can do for the maintenance of rig
 standards, both national and internatio y al This light the opponents of t e league would quench They would rel : gate the United States to a subordina d role in the affairs of the world. d Why should we be afraid of respo
 sibilities which we are qualified to sr l. tain and which the whole of our histo n has constituted a promise to the wo, ,e We would sustain? This is the most m -e mentous issue that has ever been IT sented to the people of the United Stat : and do not doubt that the hope of t ,e whole world wi1l be verified by an a l. soiute assertion by the voters of t
 country of the determination of the Un
 ed States to Hive up to all the gre
 expectations7w which they created by ent,
 ing the war andSenabling the other grt IS nations of the world to bring it to a V
 torious conclusion.t to the confusion r. Prussianism and everything that aril m out of Prussianism. Sprely we shall to fail to keep the promise sealed in | of death and sacrifice of2 our incompara le soldiers, sailors and 1harines who aw te our verdict beneath the sod of Fran + Those who do not scare to tell y a. the truth about the league of natiC IT tell you that Article X of the coven: ht of the league would make it possible T. other nations to lead us 5hto war whe le CT we willed it by our own independ op Judgment Or not. This is absolut s. false. There is nothing in the coven, 0. which in the least interiors with or le pairs the right of congress to declare '
 or not declare war according to its o CT independent judgment. as our consti ne tion provides. Those who drew on covenant of the league were careful | ns It should contain nothing which interi no ed with or impaired the constitutional ly arrangements of any of the great nati
 which are to constitute it's members IT
 would have been amazed and indign
 at. the things that arg now being ign ,s antly said about this great and sine document.
 The whole world will walt for '
 verdict in November as it would V ! I for an intimation of what Is future is a- be-"
 Y "(Signed) n n. WOODROW WILSON, |