The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-10-04
PRESIDENT WILSON
; APPEALS FOR LEAGUE
IN OPENING ADDRESS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3.-President
Wilson in his first campaign appeal
tonight made directly to the people,
urged the Endorsement of the League
OF Nations issue at the election, and
declared ''the whole world will wait
for your verdict in November as it
would wait for an intimation Of what
its future is to be-
The President characterized as "ab-
solutely false" assertions that Art. 10
OF the league covenant would make 1T
POSSIBLE for other nations to lead the
United States into war. There was
nothing in the covenant, he said,
(which In the least interferes with or
ampafrs the right of Congress to de-
clare war or not declare war accord
ing to its own independent Judgment.
as our constitution provides"
Defends Article 10.
MY fellow countrymen," was the
Presidents method OF addressing his
communication to the people. 1t con-
tanned no mention Of presidential can
didates by name, but was confined to
a brief defense of Art. 10, and criti-
cism of those whom he declared had
grossly misled" the public with re-
gard to the treaty.
The President said in part:
This election is to be a genuine ma
tional referendum. The determina-
ton of great policy upon which the
influence and authority 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 referred to
themselves for sovereign mandate to
their representatives. They are to in
struct their own government what
they wish done"
Treaty Great Issue.
THE chief question that it put to
you Is. OF course, this:
do you want your country's honor
indicated and the treaty of Versailles
ratified? Do you in particular approve
OF the League of Nations as organized
and empowered in that treaty? And
do you wish to see the United States
play its responsible part In it? You
have been grossly misled with regard
to the treaty, and particularly with
regard to the proposed character of
the League of Nations, by those who
have assumed the serious responsible
1ty Of opposing it.
"Amazed at Ignorance"
"They have gone so far that those
who have spent their lives, as | have
spent my life, in familiarizing them
selves with the history and traditions
and policies of the nation must stand
amazed at the gross ignorance and
impudent audacity which has led them
to invent an 'Americanism' of their
own which has no foundation what
ever in any of the authentic traditions
of the government.
THE conception of the great crea-
tors Of the government was absolute
ly opposite to this. They thought OF
America as the light of the world, as
created to lead the world in the as
sertion of the rights of peoples and
the rights of free nations, as destined
to set responsible example to all the
world of what free government is and
can do for the maintenance of right
standards, both national and interna-
tional This light the opponents of the
league would quench. They would
relegate the United States to sub
ordinate role in the affairs of the
world
Congress Loses No Right.
these who do not care to tell you
the truth about the League of Nations,
tell you that Art 10 of the covenant OF
the league would make it possible for
other nations to lead us into war
whether we willed it by our independ
ent judgment or not. This is absolute
ly 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, &C
cording to it's own independent judg
ment, as our constitution provides
Those who drew the covenant of the
league were careful that it should con
tain nothing which interfered with OF
impaired the constitutional arrange
ments of any of the great nations
which are to constitute its members.