The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-15
DAVIS URGES TRIAL
OF LEAGUE BY U. S,
Ambassador Says 1t Is Operat.
ing and Outlines Some of
It's Activities,
ASSAHS HARDING VIEWS
Speaker Defends Covenant at
Cooper Union Meeting-Beck
to Oppose Tonight.
AssAILs HARDING VIEWS

John w. Davis. United States AM
tassador to Great Britain. defended the
League of Nations last night before
large audience in Cooper Union. he
said the league already is going con-
Germ, and replied to Senator Harding
league speech by saying that for an
organization that has passed beyond the
possibility of restoration the League OF
Nations shows surprising signs OF lie
Ambassador Davis's speech was deiiy-
cred under auspices of the public lee
ture bureau of the Board of Education.
Tonight James NJ. Beck will speak ut
the Union against the league. Prof.
Irving Fisher Of Yale presented Ampas-
sador Davis Ernest l.. Crandall called
the meeting to order and Aiming 8.
Prall, president of the Board o. Edu-
cation. presided.
THE statement has recently been
made in high quarters" said Ambassa-
dor Davis. that the original league,
mistakenly conceived and unreasonaply
insisted upon, has undoubtedly passed
beyond the possibility of restoration
Yet since the leagues foundation II has
held four or more meetings. and on NO
ven,ber IS its assembly will convene. at
tended by representatives or tnrty-
nine powers. Without the aid and pres
ence of the United States the nations OF
the world are steadily proceeding to lay
the foundations of new world order
and ars-pressing on with the work the
league was intended to accomplish"
Outlines Work of League.
Ambassador Davis enumerated the
various activities OF the league to show
that Senator Harding's charge that it is
moribund Is untrue. These activities he
said were Governing the Saar Valley.
controlling through a High Commits
Toner the city of Danzig, selected perma-
nent committees on all questions, held
international congresses on health, sea-
mems welfare, labor and international
court, which have produced concrete
programmes called the Brussels fnan-
cial conference, combating typhus in Po-
land and repatriating prisoners d war.
acted as artiter between Sweden and
Finland, Poland and Lithuania, although
Ambassador Davis did not say with what
success In the last named case.
Besides these activities, the speaker
said, the league is dealing with four
subjects of first rate Importance to the
United States-registration Of treaties,
disarmament, preparation of mandates
and international court.
The question was. Ambassador Davis
said whether the United States should
go in or stay out. 1t then became evil
dent that the audience, about half men
and half women, but mice looking and
apparently prosperous, was Democratic
and had come to hear what ft liked to
hear. Some persons called out "Stay
out!" "Stay out I" whereupon there
arose a shout Of go in, -
I'm the face OF what the league has
done and is Going. what reason is there
TO suspect want of purpose on the part
of the nations who have already entered
the Lacquer" the Ambassador continued
What warrant to think they are ready
to cast IL all aside? challenge the
statement that any such intention Is in
their minds, and speaking from personal
knowledge, of the views Of not few of
the responsible statesmen in Europe,
assert that nothing Is further from their
thoughts.
Useless to Plan New League.
Those who would undertake the nego-
tlation of a new covenant under present
conditions are doomed to certain and
inevitable disappointment. The delay,
hesitation and dscord that have at
tended the discussion or the treaty in
America have had an i'll. indeed n dis
astrous, effect upon our standing wi h
other nations. One must be an optimist
to believe thirty-nine Powers will
acquiesce in a new suggestion from
America"
The speaker then proceeded to ridicule
Senator Harding's league speech. saying
tnat the simple process" OF declaring
war with Germany ended would render
1t unnecessary to consider" the pending
| questions OF German ships, German
cables. the cost of the army Of oocupa.
ton and various other matters of like
nature still pending between the two
countries but that have not deferred