Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17
bU1LERP0|Nl,S OUT
! DEFECTS IN P'AR|S
! LEAGUE COVENANT.
Declares Presidents Trip to
Paris Was Capital En- \
ror of Judgment

! wi vi S(VS9s'Ss
by the Associated Press.
| NEW LONDON, Conn, October 10
IE. Nicholas Murray Butler. president
, of Columbia University, New York, in
| an address here tonight pointed out
| what he called defects in the present
league of nations covenant and rec
| omm ended adjustment of interna-
! tional difficulties through a tribunal
} patterned after. but simplifying. that
of The Hague.
"A republican adminstra headed
by Mr.. Harding" he said. would not
in any respect shirk it's duty as one
of the family of nations. though 1t
would moi be'omc a member of the
existing leaglA'.
They are mistaken who think that
he republican party, when again in
/ rGSted with Jhe responsibility for
I he adm nistratSon OF the government,
Twill enter upon ANY backward path. =.
u declared. .Sehe spirit Of progress.
" ambition to serve. of zeal to solve
TIE great and veXatiouS problems
possession of the republican party of
1927.
CONFIDENT of Change.
nut Olrt, l. dUl COHllueSll tHdl W ISh
the reinS of government shall pass
into republican hands on March 4
next tue ripest wisdom the widest
experience and the best talent Wnicn
the country affords will be called
upon to assist in shaping those poll
cies which shall hasten a solution OF
the peoRleS problems and meetlNg
OF the peoples needs.
mo party, no government. can &C
complish the impossible, but the re-
publican pany may confidently be
trusted to open in 1921 a new era in
the history OF our country, ami TO
make powerful and permanent con
tribution to the cause of intema-
tional peace and concord and TO 1he
advancement CT the world satlsiac-
ton and happiness, without IN an!
wav lessening the control of the
American people over their own poll :
cies and acts, and without in any way
bending or breaking the ConStltu-
>tion of the United States, the sheet
anchor of our ship of state
Two Great Issues.
Mir. Butler asserted that much dis
cushion of campaign affairs mas no reI-
creme to great present issues. which. ne
said. are only two in number, as 1oi-
lows:
s.The relation which the people OF
the J-ni,Sed States are to bear to other
nations and to those movements OF
|political and economic opinion that
lare common to civlh1ed peopies
| .aThe relative fitness of the demo-
cratic and Republican parties to up
hold and defend the American form
of government. and to deal IN truly
AND courageous fashon
with the probl, kms of taxation. of cost
of living. of ransportation. of labor.
of housing. of public health, and OF
admin istrative e11ciepcy which lmme.
|diately confront tite American people.
Pointing out the .secnrd of the United
States as leader iIr GRID movements
for international SEA dement's under
icodified law, he reviewed the coun-
!try's correspondence with foreign ma
tons under Presidents Mckinley.
Roosevelt and Taft relative to the
iseries of Hague conferences. and crit
jicized those who refer dVsparaglngy
to The Hague tribunal on the ground
THAT it failed to prevent the European
jwar.
Says President Erpcd.
He said that in 1914. though the
fact is not generally known" a
definite plan to, strengthen the tribu-
! nal with the establishment OF an IN
jternational high court of justice was
under consideration by the govern
iments of Europe and the United
States. with every prospect on agree
ment.'
At the end of the war. he declared.
President Wilson made a capital
error of judgment" in going in person
ito conduct peace negotiations in Paris.
This, he said, made necessary the like
attendance of heads of other nations
involved. with the result that they
'Iost contact with their immediate
advisers. with their parliaments and
with their peoples.
The peace settlement. he said, COM
| ing under the pressure of the times.
| and in settlement of the issues of
+; war. was mistake.
| This procedure, far from being a
triumph of craftsmanship" he added.
was a blunder of the first magni-
| tude and is chiefly responsible for
the unhappy events of the past two
years. for the outbreak of a dozen
minor wars, for the delay in eco
/ nomic reconstruction, and for the
| feelings of despair and dependency
| that have settled down over so much
! of the world.
! so anxious was the world for
peace. however. that nation after
nation approved the covenant for a
league of nations without hesitation
| and without serious debate
Alternative Is Offered.
Mr.. Butler suggested that the re-
policy. alternative TO the league. to
accomplish the same ends in what
is believed to be far better and far
| wiser way.
1T is not true that republican OBJ
jections to the covenant as submitted
are merely partisan. narrow-mfnded
and selfish" he asserted.
! at is not true that republican
policy contemplates deserving our al
lies and associates in the war and
bearing no part in the task of re-
building the broken world.
| 1T is not true that republican pol
lev would make no sacrifice for lib
erty and~justice, and would refuse
corporation to make the world a
better and happier place in which to
| live.
ut is not true that republican policy
would take the incredibly stupid and
lreactionary course of attempting to
play an isolated part in the world and
Hook with Indifference on suffering or
lwrorgdoing or on infractions of inter-
national law unless these should di-
rectly affect our national PRIDE or our
national pocketbook.
The established policy OF the re-
publican party points the way to such
remodeling of the covenant for a
league of nations as will bring 1t into
accord with American principles. with
Established American practice and
with the highest and finest American
interests, without doing damage or
Injustice to any other nation.
] G. o. p. Sustaining Tradition.
THE people Of the United States