Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-08-20
BOrah Attacks
League of Nations
Continued on first page)


European nations will control the
league to their advantage. Fourth,
it is not a democratic league. The
people have absolutely no voice in
it, 1t is a league of diplomats, not
Of the people. There is not a single
principle of democracy in this league
from beginning to end 1t depends
on military power for its operation.
II am not aattacking the league
that president Wilson went to Eur
ope to get. but the league that he
brought back home. When he went
to Europe he contended for several
things that the league does not con
tain. He advocated the freedom of
the seas as the cornerstone upon
which the peace of the world must
be built Before the president had
been two days on the ocean, Premier
Lloyd George of England announced
that the freedom of the seas would
not even be considered, und Glenn
enceau agreed. The principle was
settled before President Wilson set
foot on European soil. There can
be no trust or intimacy Of the people
of the world without the freedom of
the seas. In no sense can there be
freedom of nations. agree with
the president that, so long as one or
two powers control the seas, there
will be arms and armies. But Lloyd
George said that the freedom of the
seas would not even De considered at
Versailles. England would settle it.
He was not willing to trust Eng
lands freedom to the league of
nations, but to arms and ships. And
Clemenceau agreed with Lloyd
George. Before the president even
arrived in Europe. the league was
fixed" on the freedom of the seas
The president, instead of submitting
the question himself. yielded, and
the first battle in the peace confer
ence was won by Europe
'All had agreed that all great
military machines must be destroyed
as the second great step toward dis
armament and peace. Lloyd George
had declared against all conscript
armies in all lands. We were told
that the peace treaty would be
sham unless this principle were ad-
hered to What became of it? 1t
was not even submitted for consider
alton, because they wanted armed
ships by sea and armies by land to
enforce the DEGREES of the league.
What standards prevailed-the STAN
dards of Europe or of America?
Open diplomacy was announced
by President Wilson as essential to
peace. He wanted open diplomacy at
the peace conference. There has
been no war in Europe during the
past 800 years in which secret treat
les were not made. In two days after
he got to Versailles, they closed the
doors on President Wilson, and the
doors were kept closed until they
let him out to return home. Every
meeting thus far held, involving the
life or death of your child, has been
held behind closed doors. The presi-
dent did not get open diplomacy.
Have European principles won out
or American principles?
"One vice OF the closed door is
that those who ought not to have
the facts get them first. Wall Street
had the first four copies of the
league pact twenty days before the
United States senate or the people
of the United States knew what IL
was. That is the disadvantage of
secrecy. One OF the things that it
was said should be done was that
secret treaties should be rejected
yet every secret treaty. with one ex-
ception. made during the war is
written into the Versailles treaty.
For instance, the Shantung treaty,
a thing born In such infamy that 1t
cannot be for the peace of the world,
a treaty purchased by the returning
OF 4O.0OO.000 to slavery under mill
tary power.
THE president claimed that i'm
perialtsm must cease. yet no such
and land-grabbing has
ever been known as since the sign
ing OF the armistice. when all imper-
ialism was to have an end. During
the war Lloyd George said, "As the
Lord liveth. England does not want
one foot of territory" or course.
much land was forced" upon Eng
land She has received 1,607,053
square miles of it. Today, Persia
is as much part of the British EN-
Dire as is Canada. and makes in all
2, 100000 square miles added to
British territory that they could not
help taking. it being forced upon
hem. They now ask us to sign a
league of nations treaty that pledges |
rs 10 send our boys to defend it with |
their lives This would be pri-
mary obligation. If We become a |
member of the league of nations. |
every foot OF this territory comes |
lnder our consideration. We promise |
to police every foot Of this territory. i,
would not give the blood of I
'ingle American boy to see them hold |
me foot of it, Under article eleven,
re must send men when called to do |
20, or break our contract. The |
members of the league guarantee to |
'rotect every foot Of territory ac-
luired.
1--WE will never stop war until the
people say whether We shall have
var / would bring the question
II war directly to the people. Amer
On will do her part, but we will
10 1t as free and Independent ma
ion to do what We think is right.
IS free people.
"Fgypt's appeal for hearing was
'enied by the peace council. Her
appealed to Pres dent
'ilson. but he turned a deaf ear be-
"nse he could not go counter to the
'ther members of the council. Eng