The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-09-21
HARDING GLAD
AMERICANS ARE
AFREE PEOPLE
Continued From Yesterday

NATIONALITY thnt ! StAnd today and
shall continue to stand inflcxibly, %
long as shall bc permitted to 1.-Two.
Tho Independence OF our great rcpub.
lie Is to me priceless and sacred In.
horitanco. Time was whom an Amcri.
can did not hesitate 10 proclaim him.
self patriot. To do so nov, I am
we'll aware, Is sometimes TO invite the
snccr OF cynicism. hut why should
any true American rot bc fro to say
I am a patriot. wholly devoted to my
country, which hold 20 bc Gods best
inspiration 10 man for higher attain.
mcnt and the promotion OF the worlds
best civiilxationv
But ] have a special reason FOR
making this reference today, I chat
lcngr the statement that the patriotism,
which holds America first comprchcnds
either rarTovncss or soinshness, or as
iHniyins tel, Suspicion and jealousy
Of otter peop'os.
10 assert, AZ somc have asserted,
hccdlessiy, that those OF us who hon.
cstly bci!oYe That America can best
serve al mankind se America, frw
and untrammeied. rather than As one
OF pitiable minority among many
states In merged world government,
lack Of consciousness Of tho rightful
demands OF humanity. is to utter q
gross and objectionable libel. To at.
tribute mcanncss 10 those Of us who.
In the performance Of our public duty,
refused to participate In what we sin.
cerely regarded - Q betrayal OF our
own country In tho interest Of others.
b TO discrsdn the intelligence and dis
crimination Of the Ereat maas Of
American people Who directly. By their
votes, put u In our positions oe trust.
For myself. Svield to no man In vii.
lin9ness, aye, In eaecrneas. to render
the greatest conceivable assistance to
the STRICKEN peoples Of Europe. ! In.
eluds all of than and speak with q
genuinely sympathetic heart, vhether
Il b to msntion devastated France, or
sorely tried Italy, or nobly struggling
Poland, o. distracted and misguided
Ruasia. o. eallant little Belgium, or
pitiabay Deceived Austria, or the ruth.
isss invader, Germany, which came to
ths supreme tracsdy through . leader.
ship which brought disaster to her mis-
guided peoplA
1t was with that feeling Of sym
pathy and desire TO serve. that most
reluctantly and with grave misgivinEs,
- ] announced At the time, I with
reservations designed to preserve our
essential liberty Of action. The record
II made and under the same condt
tions, confronted by the same alterua.
tive. should vote now as I voted then.
But tho conditions have changed.
Experience has brought enlightenment.
we Anow now that the League con.
stituted at Versailles II utterly impo-
tent as . preventative Of wara Il II
10 obviously impotent that II has not
even been tried. The original League.
mistakenly conceived and unreason-
ably insisted upon. has undoubtedly |
passed beyond the possibility Of restor. !
alton The matursr judgment Of the |
world will Be that II deserved 10 pass
Tor the very simple reason that, con.
trary 70 all Of the tendencies developed |
BY the civillzing processes Of the world.
II rested upon the power Of might. not
Of right
The assertion u made frequently
that through the surrender Of our M.
We might have saved the life
Of the covenant-that 10 TO say, that,
although twenty eight nations could
not make II function, one added TO the
would have achieved Q
glowing success, provided always that
the one we're America.
This pays to America the tribute Of
exceptional influence, but suggest that
Il the world II dependent upon our
action to bring about the supreme
then We ought to have the
'ay about our own freedom In partici.
patton therein. But let VI consider
What is meant by this reliance upon
America What can II signify II not
hat II Ii to the United States, and to .
he United States alone. that the other
nations look for the bono {
md sinew, the money. the munitions
md the men to sustain the entire or.
not as an agency Of peace.