The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-09-17
OF THEIR STAND.
ROOSEVELT RESENTS THE
CHARGE OF HAYS
Reflection of International Flag
Is Met With Sharp
Retort
Bangor, Maine. September IL

Bangor, Maine. September IL
Correspondence OF The. Associated
Press l-Charging that the republi-
democrats were not good Americans
and preferred an international nag
to the Stars and Stripes, Franklin ID.
Roosevelt, democratic candidate for
vice president, replied here tonight
to assertions Of Will H. Hays repub-
lican national chairman, in his Agus-
Ia, Maine, speech last month.
Referring to the text Of Mr.. Hays
address. which was entitled "Unuer
Which Flag" Mr. Roosevelt said the
republican chairman had offered a
deliberate insult to many millions,
probably the majority or our citizens,
and he was guilty not only Of bad
taste but of poor political judgment"
ers, he said, are in every way loyaf
and will resent any attempt by one
group of leaders to take one an eek
elusive patent" on our flag.
Scores @. o. p. Stand
ITO claim that one party doctrine
is the only American one is to infer
that those who belong to another
party faith are un-Americans. That
sort of campaigning ought not to be
excused even In the heat of an cleo
ton"
Mr.. Roosevelt declared he would
'be the first to insist that republi-
cans, rank and file. are just as sin
cerely proud of our country and our
and his party differed, however, ne
said, "in the big conception Of the
great purpose for which our flag il
the symbol"
'The same gentleman has used
with inaccurate. but deliberate care
lessness, the word internationalism
With evident design he has sought to
convey the Impression that people
who believe in the League Of Nations
are Internationalists' In the sense
used by certain radical groups who
do not believe in nations at all, or
who seek q super government in
For political purposes, he would rea-
son that one who seeks international
peace and international agreements
and international Justice is thereby
an international red
FaIsity Of Argument.
THE whole falsity Of this position
Is shown by asking the simple cues
ton Of whether the thirty seven ma
tions, who have. already joined the
League of Nations, have given I'D
their own sovereignty, their own con-
stitutional rights, their own flags?
Even Switzerland. most Jealous of
independence and wary of alliances,
mas voted by popular referendum to
Long before 1914, American
statesmen advocated League OF
Nations. Some. like President Taft
favored one that frankly called itself
league to enforce peace. Yet he
was not called a traitor or a follower
of internationalism.
I'VE had seen the failure of the
Hague Tribunal to prevent wars. We
had seen, indeed, an increase In wars
and In the preparations for wars.
me other nations were well aware
tnat the American flag carried a new
message OF hope that 1t represented
great people opposed to aggres-
sion and willing to change the exist.
Ing conditions Of mistrust and CONNIE
| tfttve armament.
The great war came, and America
| at last became a party to the strug :
gle. But we did not join forces for
the mere sake of crushing the kaiser
on the field of battle. It was NOT
alone ka1sertsm or the Central Pow
ers themselves that we were fighting
We fought for something construct
i've, IN addition to the fight against
som ething destructive. Men and
women OF all parties united in de-
manding in 1917 that the evil in the
previous relationship between ma
ed Mere good will would not remove
the danger. mere international oourts
had been proved a failure. A definfre
was demanded, something that would
prevent the causes of trouble snd
not walt until trouble itself had come
to a head. '0
In all Of this the nation was INIT :
ed. With this spirit and purpose. ar,
nag was carried across the seas bv
the splendid men of our Army and
Navy. The peoples Of Europe, too
understood the message. They wei:
coIneo me accession Of military
would win in the end, but thew az !,
IN the American flag the first sign NJ
nope for their children and grand .
- Promise In Sight,
When the war ended, the promise
or the American flag seemed To have
come true. International law tbe
relations between nations, was to he
put on new basis. Even the peopIe
q the Central Empires took hone
kaiserism was ended, the new reia.
tlonsnip was promised in the very
terms OF the armistice.
| Through all this period our mao.
pie at home held to the ideal II
was constantly before their ewes
The flag they knew and loved "a
still spreading through the world
! the American spirit of service and
| unselfshness. No voice was heard
In opposition to Americas pronoaa ri
that new order should srnercers
the old: We were proud thai me-
could have the opportunity to roint
the way to world peace, not Iners
cessation Of conflict but the peace NJ
permanence. "a
An organization to that end Was
drawn up by the assembled nations
and through 1t all, Americas mari
was the clearest, the cleanest and
the highest minded Of all. In every
nation, men and women rejoiced that
the spirit OF Americas flag was ha.
Ing translated into actual accom-.
plishment, and In that rejoicing VIA
shared. Today the accomplishment
OF the League Of Nations has bean
made. We, the nation whose ideals
made 1t possible. remain without
The flag which carried the hope and
the promise IL beginning to ba viervad