Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-28

external aggression the territorial IN
tegrity and existing political independence
of all members of the league. 1t omits TO
quote the all-important second sentence
in Article Y as follows: "ln case OF any
such aggression or in case of any threat or
danger of such aggression the council
shall advise upon the means by which thus
obligation shall bo fulfilled which defines
just what is 10 happen under the League
of Nations covenant il any case oi snch
external aggression or If danger thereof
shall arise. This failure TO take note OF
the second sentence in Article \ is by no
means peculiar to this group OF 81 eminent
Republicans; it has characterized almost
all the adverse discussion of that lndis-
pensable article The article does not bind
a member of the league TO go 10 war against
its will or against it's interest, real or
imagined 1t only promises that the coun-
Gil shall advise upon the means by which
the obligation incurred under the article 8
first sentence shall bc fulfilled.
The statement reglects TO mention
that action on all important measures
brought forward in the assembly or the
council must be unanimous; so that every
nation has an absolute veto on action IN
either assembly or council The statement
in this way conceals the absurdlty of the
apprehensions expressed by the Republi-
can senators who defeated ratlication
lest the league should set up super
state. impair the Monroe Doctrinc, nm
pose huge war costs on the United states,
and send millions of American boys 10 die
all about the world in causes which did
not concern them. This is certainly not a
candid way of dealing with tho voters
whom the sigrers of the statement wish TO
hold in the Republican party or bring
into IT,
After referring to the signers objection
to Article Y rs n vital objection, the
author Of the statement under eonsldera'
tion launches the following sentence, lar
the wiscst in the whole document but COM
pletely Inconsistent with everything Mr..
Harding has said about the covenant and
treaty: The conditions of Europe make 1t
essential that the stabilizing effect of the
treaty already made between the Euro
pean u overs shall not be lost by them. and
that the necessary changes he made by
changing the terms Of that treaty rather
than by beginning entirely anew. The
statement then saws that MIR. Harding IS
willing to follow that course, and IN sup
port of that affirmation quotes an ex-
tremelv involved and evaslve paragraph
from Mr. Harding's speech Of August y.
fair sample of that paragraph Is the
following unbroken or continuous utter
ance: It the league can be Amended or
revised so that we may still have REM
paut OF the worlds aspiratI0 ms IN 1918
builded into the world : highest conception
OF helpful cooperation in the ultimate
realization Again. no mention Is made
Of contradictirg utterarces made by Mr.
Harding sIrce August rs The next
sentence of the statement contains the
slgnere astonishing conclusion We there
fore believe that we can most effectively
advarcc the cause of international CO.
operation to promote peace by supporting
MIR Harding for election 70 the Presl-
dencv
Let all new voters. women voters. indc-
pcrdent> and Republicans VINO are IN
doIlt consider whether this statements of
81 cmircnt Republicans IS candid. whether
IT, fIlndamcTt tai premises are true or false,
whether It's reasoning Is soWnd or specious,
and whether rs conclusion IS sane ana
patriotic. or inpdiclouS. dangerous for the
cou try and At bottom Immoral The 81
>Vrcr~ of the statement are all honorable
men How they signed such paper Is a
MYSTERY which cannot be discussed here
ii d now.
hc conclusion of the statement of the
81 amirc Ranuhhcal Just quoted con
taifs the SIT. ctlvc phrase ''advai O. the
carsn of International cooperation 10
promote peace there does that noble
idea come from? From he preamble of the
League cf Natlors covenant, as follows.
The High Contracting Parties, IN order
To promote International cooperation and
TO achieve teriational peace and s.
cJ!rltv ] by the acceptance Of obhga-
tIol not 10 resort 10 WAT, Y by tho
prescription Of open. just and honorable
felatloI between nations, 81 by the f1rm
establishment Of the understandings OF
International law as the actual rule Of
conduct amor z governments, and ~ by
Z he maintenance of justice and scrupu-
lous respect for all treaty obhgatIOrs N
the dealings Of organized peoples with one
another, agree 10 tins covenant Of the
eague Of Natious" IF the new voter or
the doubtful voter who loves the real
America as he loves his mother or hls wife,
viii take into his mind and heart that pre-
amble TO tho League of Nations covenant,
be viii not vote TO place the control OF the
government Of the United States IN the
hands Of tue apostate senators who
defeated ratification.
he KepCDHcan manager are TO-DAY
tryir to shift the main issue Of the
campaiga from the sentimental verdict
on the League Of Nations 70 the busiress
interests Of the country, such as national
a admir- ristrative economy, the labor prob
lem, reduced taxation, and so forth. In
making this change they are counting on
deuse ignorance and indifference and woe
ful lack Of thinking power amorg Ameri
can busircss men; for every competent
observer of European and American IN
dustrlal and financial conditions today
testihes that good functioning by the
League of Nations Is essential 10 the res
toration of Europe and therefore to the
Of America. If the League of
Nations fails, there cannot be any reduc-
ton of national and State expenditures
Or of taxation in the United States, or any
settlement of the labor prob
lem. In short, unless the moral issue is
settled right, nothing else viii be- This
the uniform testimony of philosophy and
history for both individuals and nations