Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-11
HAYS IS INSULTING,
SAYS ROOSEVELT
Candidate Charges Republican
Chairman With Un-Americanism
In Campaign.

Ncit Will DC unaDte 10 ueIlNct iis epcNNh
here tonight and has authorized Its
release in the form Of statement by him
at the close Of his Maine campaign.
Mr. Rooscvelt's statement opens with
the charge that Republicans are trying
to make it appear that Democrats were
not good Americans, and preferred an
international flag to the Stars and stripes.
IL is in large part reply to the assertion
of Will III. Hays, Chairman OF the he
publican Committee, in Augusta last
month. and refers tn the text of MIR.
Uav'. address. 'VTnder Which FlagY"
MIR Roosevelt accuses the Republican
Chairman. of having Offered delibcate
insult To many millions, probably the
majority of our citizens" and OF being
guilty not only of bad taste but of poor
political Judgment
'sThc Overwhelming majority OF vot-
ers." saws MIR. Roosevelt's statement,
care in every way loyal, and will resent
ANY attempt by one group oi leaders to
take out an exclusive patent on our
flag To claim that one party doctrine
is the only American one is to infer
that those who belong to another party
faith are un-Amcrican. That sort OF
campaigning ought not to be excused
even IN the heat OF an election.
N n.
the first to insist that Republicans, rank
and file. are Just as sincerely proud of
our country and our flag as Democrats
are" 'Mr. Hays and his party diff
fcrcd. however" he says, ''in the big
conception of the great purpose for
which our flag is the symbol.
'rrhe same gentleman has used with
inaccurate but deliberate carelessness
the word "intcrnationalism With evi-
dent design, he has sought to convey
the impression that people who believe
In the League of Nations are Inter
tionalists in the sense used by certain
radical groups which do not believe in
nations at all or which seek super
government in place of true national
governments. For political purposes he
would reason that one who seeks inter
national peace and international agree
mcnts and international justice is there
by an international Red
''rhe whole falsity of this position is
shown by asking the simple question OF
whether the thirty-seven nations which
have already joined the League Of Ma
tlons have gwen up their own SOW
crcignity, their own constitutional nights,
their own flags. Even Swltzeriand,
most Jealous of independence and wary
cndum TO Join the League.
Long before 1914 American statemen
advocated league of nations. Some,
Ike President Taft, favored one that
frankly called itself a league to enforce
peacc. Yet he was not called traitor
or follower OF internationalisn.
Eve had seen the failure Of The
Hague Tribunal TO prevent wars. We
had sycn, indeed, an increase In wars
and in the preparations for wars. The
other nations were well aware that the
Amnrican flag carried new message
of hope. that IL represented a great peo-
ple Opposed to aggression and willing to
change the existing conditions of mis-
trust and competitive armament.
Tho Great War came and America
AZ last became a party TO the struggle.
But we did not join forces for the mere
sake 81 crushing the kaiser on the field
oi battle. II was not alone kaiserism
or the Central Powers themselves that
We we're fighting. We fought for some
thing constructive, IN addition to the
fight against something destructive. Men
and women OF all parties united in de-
mnndiug in 1917 that the evil in the
previous relationship between nations
shplld be in the future removed Mere
good will would not remove the danger,
n,crc International courts had been
proved failure. A definite, business
ike concrete association was demanded,
something that would prevent the causes
of trouble and not wait until trouble
itself had come TO head.
"ln all Of this the nation was united.
With this spirit and purpose our flag
was carried across the seas by the splen-
did men of our army and navy. The
peoples of Europe, too, understood the
message. They welcomed the accession
of military strength; they knew that the
Allies would win in the end; but they
saw in the American flag the first sign
Of hope for their children and grand
children.
when the war ended the promise of
the American flag seemed to have come
true. International law, the relations
between nations, was to be put on a
new basis. Even the peoples of the Con-
trail Empires took hope kaiserism
was ended, the new relationship was
promised in the very terms OF the ar
mistlce.
Through all this period our people
IT home held TO the ideal. 1t was con-
stantly before their eyes. The flag they
knew and loved was still spreading
tDrbuEn lbt Nofiu tllt american spirit |
OF service and unselhshness. No voice |
was heard in opposition to Americas |
proposal that a new order should s,l- !
percede the old. We were proud that |
we could have the opportunity to point |
the way 10 world peace, not mere ees- |
sation of conflict but the peace of per- |
"An organization TO that end was
drawn up by the assembled nations. and |
through il all, America part was the |
rlearest, the cleanest, and the highest /
minded of all In every nation. men /
and women rejoiced that the spirit of |
Americas 5 flag was being translated into
actual accomplishment, and in that re-
Ioicing we shared. Today the accom-
plishment of the League of Nations has
,een made. We, the nation whose ideals /
made il possible, remain without. The /
lag which carried the hope and the
promise is beginning TO be viewed with |
sdlfferent ewes abroad.
"Not only in France, not only In Eu-
'ope, but in all the peoples of all the
World, lies that hope in our flag. They
.sk hs TO go in. They ask not for
,ew peace commission, not for a new
heory, not for a new conference TO
iraw up new set of rules They ask
fair trial for what we have under
ken. They ask that America help in
le name of humanity. They ask that
ey be gwen again the inspiration of
ar flag.
"Shal we refuse? Shall we for par
anship stand aloof? Shall we forget