The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1920-10-07

could furnish the munitions and, II
necessary, the men to withstand the
hordes advancing from Russia far
more easily than could the exhausted
nations Of Europe. Moreover, mas.
much as this would be the first test
of the scheme of world government
which, was formulated and demanded
by the President, speaking for the
United States, the fact of a special
responsibility, resting upon our should.
ers. manifestly would have been un-
icniabIe Undoubtedly the league
ronEcil, tn advising upon the means
w which tl., obligations to Poland
should be fulfilled, as provided In the
covenant, would have so held. and
probably the conscience of America,
certainty tie opinion Of the world.
would have sustained that judgment.
''Ihe conclusion that our country
might now lac confronted by such a
Situa ton, II Tie senate had ratified
the Ter .uc cavenent, requires no
stretch. Of the imagination. None can
deny that /; is possible. To many
..anGid minds as TO my own, such
distressing situation will seem high
~ probable Let us assume that the
ratification had taken place. Let us
assume, further, that the performance
of the alIot". task required the wag-
tng Of war upon the Russian people.
as of course, it would what would
result wha' would of necessity have
to result Nothing necessarily. we
are glIblv Informed since only the
Congress ~ar declare war and the
Congrer- might ~efer the appeal of
the executive But woul7 the Congress
do that? coald The Congress do that
without stat, ing indeiiblv the honor
Of tbs nation:
Answer Is stFao."
~ answer No. and say it not on
my own authority alone Back of nv
Judgment stands the President of the
United States Upon that point there
Is first -hano information. In the course
If the discussion which took place at
he meeting NJ the President and rhe
Senate Committee on Foreign Rela.
lions. r;.:s,,i the question by stating
! hypottpi1cnl case precisely analogous
70 that whisl, have depicted, and then
inquired whether We might not right
'"'lc lra regarded as a perhdious PEG
2ie If We si..uId fail to contribute an
..liue6 force. If called upon to do SO.
The President first replied. as I
iio:.giit somewhat evasively, thar we
would he orr own judges as to wheth-
n we We're obliged In those circum-
stances 10 act IN that WY Or not
Pressed, further, however, in response
- query cooperating the assump-
lion that 'fi.e case provided for and
prescribed had arisen and that the
A1trancous attack did exist precisely
as il does exist today in Poland the
resident admitted specifically that we
vo;sld he untrue If we did not keep our
vor;'
"!seHIytng further to question
which p,'rmps | ought not to have
considered necessary, the President
pronounced moral obligation of
curse superior to q legal obligation
md OF = greater binding force
"What. tien, becomes Of the argu-
aent that congress, not the President,
in thts instance at any rate, might
keep ns on Of war; Technically, Of
course, II could do 80. Morally, with
>saai certainty, Il could not do so nor
vouM It ever do 50. The American
..,Opie would never permit repudia-
ton of debt of honor.
sam | Tot right, my countrymen,
n saying that we needed only the
outbreak Of war between Poland and
Russia to make US realize at least
one Of the things which, in the words