The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-16
EPELLACY SCORES
 LEAGUE OPPONENTS
(Continued From Page Two.0

nave been made to the prejudices oI the people of this country and
 ncre lies have been told than in any similar period in our history Yet theN subject of the league is a com paratively simple one. The words of
 the covenant are plain. There is no am Dignity. Nearly every man that
 come into personal contact with and who argues against the league I ask one question, whether he has ever read the covenant, and invariably the ienant itself answers every objection that is urged. Not heinz able to at tack the peace time record of the
 democratfc party, not being able suc- lsessfuHy to criticize the war time eff 4efciency of the adm inistration, it was
 Fsecessary with a presidential cam- rpaign approaching to nave some is- sue. The result has been the assault The Republican party in its plat Norm gave vent to some tight rope .stnrasing on the league.
 Position of the League
 ghey wanted to please the irrecon- rcilable who wanted no league to iplease the Lodge reservationists, who talso wanted no league but did not fhave the courage to fight in tho open, kand they didn't want to displease the Republicans who favored the league. That platform did not last very long Ewhen the light of public scrutiny was 'turned upon it. Then we had the l8peeCn or acceptance or senator f1aIu- ling. It is difficult to understand what The means from what he says. How lever, that speech and subsequent ut terances shows that he is against the Imajor league and proposes a bush E1ea gue all his own, and calls it a IT as bsociation of nations with a high court
 In other words he is again straddling. The force of opinion was not as lstrongly against the league as our Re- publican managers thought it would be land they are trying to get to cover.
 Nov in all the verbiage that has been wasted on this discussion of the league, and in all the fine phrases tof Americauism that have been used,
 and all the appeals to congromerate
 elements of protest and appeal to prejudice the only argument that islands forth with any merit is the
 one that the American people do not
 want to be engaged in every quarrel Throughout the world, and do not want our boys to be sent hither and
 thither at the behest of every nation
 under the sun. Tn other words that
 the league is a super-government, de- ksigned to take from us part of our
 sovereignty and to dictate to us as to
 whether we shall enter a war or not. : Then they tell us that Article Ten preciudes any people from ever bein g
 able to throw off foreign govern mept, and to erect a government of their own. and they specifically speak ] of Ireland as a case in point Well, | if these things were so, I would be opposed to the league. None of us wants to see our boys shuffled around
 prive any people of the same rights that we ourselves exercised in 1776 ! But these things are not so
 As to the first contention: The convention of the League of Ma
 tions consists of 26 paragraphs. It provides for an assembly and a
 council, The former is to consist ] of representatives of each member | IL.
 assembly each member of the league
 shall have one vote and not more than three representatives. The
 council consists of representatives of
 the United States. the British em- pire, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, Greece and Spain. Each of these nations is to have one vote
 and only one representative at meet i ings of the council. Before this country, any other member of the ! league, can be involved in any war, unanimous consent of the council is necessary Now we have a repre- sentative in the council. Without his consent we cannot be involved. Con- gross, and congres7 alone, must pro- vide the necessary statutory authority for the appointment of our repre-
 sentative in the council. Congress may, therefore, make such stipula- tions as it pleases to circumscribe and terminate authority of our mem Der of the council He may be given [ only such powers as are given to our | ambassadors. That is, that no final authority can be exercised by him before reporting and receiving per- mission from this government. And ] in the case of voting on any ques- | ton that might involve us in war, Congress may, if it pleases, provide 1 that no such vote. shall be recorded by our representative. without first obtaining the permission of the Con-
 gress. So I ask how can this coun- ' l. ~l1-.I t1NTN it's consent, and how can the execu- tive exercise any arbitrary power without permission of the Congress, if this body wishes to decree other wise2
 Then again, the treaty or the GOV enant of the league does not and ! cannot amend our constitution The 1 fundamental law of the land gives { to the Congress and to the Congress alone the power to declare war.
 Now, my friends, the statement | that our boys are to be whisked , around the world is falsehood
 known to be so by the senatorial treaty for their own partisan pur' Ireland and Article x.
 Now, word as to Ireland. or any other people similarly situated. We have heard of Article Ten so ofter and it has been so frequently the recipient of adverse criticism that w' might almost conceive IL as Sonlt terrible monster, designed to lock tho ! sf1ackIes forever on all the peoples | of the earth who are governed by : 1 foreign power. But like a great man. ! boeies in this world, it "taint SOL Let me read to you Article Ten . IThe members of the league un
 dertake to respect and preserve a! against external aggression tn territorial integrity and existing DO ! IticaI independence of all member | of the league. In case of any threa i ar danger of such aggression, tn i Council shall advise upon the mean
 by which this obligation shall b i fulfilled"
 | That article is carefully drawn [ If uses the words "external aggres : a3o1" Every man who ever has ha to do with the construction 0 ! statutes knows that these words meal ] outside aggression. I do not knoS what other meaning you can plac | ou the word "external-' Now revo | I,Iffon is internal aggression. It is i rebel1fon of a people to throw owe { their own government or govern [ ment that at the time has sovereign
 tv over them. If the present coven