The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-11-12
DEADER|THAN EVER
IS WILSON LEAGUE
SAYS STATEMENT
Republican Publicity Head Issues a
Statement On the S0-Called
Wllsonian League Of
Nations.


Washington, d. C. - Insisting that
the Wilson league of nations is dead
the Republican Publicity Association
through its President, Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., issued the following
statement.
Shortly before the elections in 1915
Mr. Wilson issued an appeal to the
voters to return Democratic Senate
and House so that support Of his poll
cies, one of which he had proclaimed
to be the establishment of a league Of
nations, might be assured. The result
was a complete reputation Of the
President, and the election of Repub-
lican majorities in both Houses. On
March 4, 1919, round robin was
signed by 80 Senators of the incoming
Congress proclaiming to the world
that the covenant ofthe league of ma
tons as then framed by Mr.. Wilson
should not be adopted by the United
States. On November 10, 1919, the
Senate rejected the league, as it had
been presented to it by the President,
by the overwhelming vote of SO Nays
to 3S Yeas. On March 10, 1920, the
Senate again denied endorsement of
the covenant, even after 1t had been
Americanized by the Lodge reserva-
tons, by the vote of 40 Yeas to S5
Nays, two-thrids being necessary for
ratification. On November 2, 1920, the
American people condemned the
league again by an adverse plurality
of upwards of 100000 voters, after
the question had been made the chief
issue of the campaign following the
edict of the President that there
should be a solemn referendum upon
1t. ~
"The league of nations has been
thrice killed by the action of the peo-
pies representatives in the Senate
clothed with Constitutional powers to
deal with such matters, and twice con.
demned by the people themselves
through the ballot. Yet proponents Of
the league refuse to acknowledge the
fact. They have the aduacity to de-
clare that Senator Harding, after his
Inauguration, will resurrect the two
year-old corpse, breathe new life into
it, and make the United States a mem
Der nation, either with or without res
erations. Norman Hapgood, represen
tative of the league advocates, is re
ported as saying that the league will
be adopted within year. His views
may be somewhat extreme, but they
illustrate what is taking place in thu
minds of the pro-leaguers.
"The sooner those men disabust
themselves Of that idea the better i
will be for their own peace of mine
and that Of others. The very vote:
that elected Senator Harding to thu
White House decreed that the United
States should not become member o.
the league. Even though there should
be complete reversal of sentiment il
the Senate, it is incoceivable that
President Harding would cast aside
the mandate of the people and submit
the covenant again to the Senate fol
ratification. He stands for an associ.
alton of nations that will promote
peace, but he is unequivacally against
the league as we now know 1t.
President Harding will never pro
pose, and the Senate will never &C.
cept, an international agreement that
confers jurisdiction upon a. foreign
council aver American armies and
nayies: that agrees in advance upon