Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-05
WILSON CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
IN CAMP |GN APPEAL
In First Statement, the
President Says Article
Ten Cannot Force Amer
lea Into War

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-Presiden
Wilson, urging Endorsement at tn
polls next month of the administra
tion's stand on the League of Ma
tions. declared in a communicable
addressed to my fellow country
men" and given out for publication
today, that there was nothing Il
the covenant which in the least In
terferes with or impairs the RICH
of congress to declare war or no
declare war according to its owl
independent judgment, as our constl
tuition provides.
The president characterized a
"absolutely false" assertions tina
other nations, under Article 10 Of tn
league covenant, would be in a posi-
ton to lead the United States int
war. -@.r..
In the communication, which wa
the presidents first direct campaig'
appeal to the public, charged tina
you have been grossly misled wit
regard to the treaty and PARTICULAR
with regard to the proposed charac
ter of the League of Nations. b.
those who have assumed the seriou
responsibility of opposing it," =
1.-THE whole world will wait 10
dent declared, 4 "as it would wait TO
an intimation of what it's future j
to be"
The text of the appeal fol-
lows: ..,.
My Fellow Countrymen:
The issues of the present cam
paign are of such tremendous
Importance and of such TAR
fluence of the country and the
development of it's future rela-
tons, and have necessarily had
SO much to do with their devel-
opmeflt, that / am sure you will
think it natural and proper that
I should address TO you few
words concerning them. Every
one who sincerely believes in
government by the people must
rejoice at the turn affairs have.
taken in regard to this campaign.
This electionis to be a genuine
national referendum. The deter
mination of a great policy upon
which the influence and author
ity of the United States in the
world must depend is not to be
left to groups of politicians of
either party, but is to be re-
ferred to the people themselves
j. for a sovereign mandate to their
representatives. They are to in
struct their own government
what they wish done.
The chief, question that is put
to you, is of course, this: Do
you want your country's honor
Versailles ratified? Do you in
particular approve of the League
of Nations as organized and en-
powered in that treaty? And do
you wish to see the United
States play it's responsible part
in it? You have been grossly
misled with regard to the treaty,
the proposed character of the
League of Nations, by those who
have. assumed the serious respon-
sibility of opposing it. They
have gone so far that those who
have spent their lives, as / have
spent my life, in familiarizing
themselves with the history and
ana QOllClSo VI IlC
ton, must stand amazed at the
gross ignorance and impudent
audaeity which has led them to
attempt to invent an american
ISM of their own which has no
foundation whatever in any of
the authentic traditions Of the
government.
Real American:sm .
Americanism as they conceive
it reverses the whole process of
the last few tragical years. 1t
would substitute America for
Prussia in the policy of isola-
ton and defiant segregation.
Their conception Of the dignity
of the nation and it's interest is
watch for opportunities to adj
vance OR. own interests, involve
ourselves in no responsibility
for the maintenance of the right
in the world or for the continued
Vindication~ any of the things
for which we entered the war to
fight. The conception of the great
creators of the government was
absolutely opposite to this. They
thought of America as the light
of the world: as created to lead
the world in the assertion of the
rights of peoples and the rights
of free rations;, as destined to
set responsible example to all
the world of what free govern
ment is and can do for the main
tainance of right standards. both
national and international. This
light opponents of the league
would quench. They would rele-
gate the United States to SUBJ
ordinate role in the affairs in the
world.
Why should we be afraid of
responsibilities, which we are
qualified to sustain, and which
constituted a promise to the
world we would sustain?s This
is the most momentouS issue
that has ever been presented to
the people of the United States,
and do not doubt that the hope
OF the whole world will be veri-
ned by an absolute assertion by
the voters of the country of the
determination of the United
States to live up to all the great
expectations which they created
by entering the war and enab-
ling the other great nations of
the world to bring it to victor
lous conclusion, to the confusion
OF Prusslanism and everything
that arises out of Prussianisrn.
Surely we shall not fail to keep
, the promise sealed in the death
and sacrifice of our incompatible
soldiers, sailors, and marines
VINO await our verdict beneath
the sod of France.
Article Z Mthrepresented
Those who do not care to tell -
you the truth about the League
OF Nations tell you that Article
X OF the covenant of the league
would make it possible for other
= nations to lead us into war,
whether we willed it by our own
Independent Judgment or not.
Thls is absolutely false, There
is nothing in the covenant which
in the least interferes with or
impairs the right of congress
to declare war or not declare
war according to it's own indie
pendent judgment, as our consti-
tuition provides. Those who drew
the covenant of the league were
careful that it should contain
nothing which interfered with or
impaired the constitutional ar
engagements of any of the great
nations which are to constitute
it's members. They would have
been amazed and indignant at
the things that are now being
ignorantly said about this great
nd c;n dnoyyoapf