New-York tribune., 1920-10-16

PEELED except by force of arms, would
we be under any legal obligation tc
participate?
"The President answered: No, sir;
but we should be under an absolutely
compelling moral oblgation'
"a little later the President answered
an inquiry | made with some sug.
geston of reproval: "A moral OBJ.
legation is, of course, superior to a
legal obligation. and, if | may say
so, Of greater binding force
Then we really are called to war
regardless of Congress, or we are ready
to repudate an absolutely compelling
moral oblgation,' and stain America
with dishonor
at is a strange thing that the Pres
ident and those who desire to succeed
him, with the adoption of his inhexiblo
and lost program, should only be able
to consider international relations in
terms Of war. | said on August %
speaking Of international relationships
IN peace;
Peace Through Justice
"Tf, in the failed league of Yer
saiiles, there can be found machin-
cry which the tribunal can use prop
erly and advantage geously, by all means
let 1T be appropriated. | would even
go further. | would take and combine
all that is good and excise all that is
bad from both organizations
This statement is broad enough to
include the suggestion that if the
league, which has heretofore riveted
our considerations and apprehensons
has been so entwined and interviewer
into the peace of Europe that it's
good must be preserved in order to
stabilize the peace of that continent,
then it can be amended or revised so
that we may still have a remnant of
the worlds aspirations of 1918 build
ed into the worlds highest conception
Of helpful cooperation in the ultimate
1ealizations.
Il make the suggestion to the Amer
lean people and through them to my
opponents that it is better to build up
peace through justice than to promote
the alliance of armed. forces; that it
is better to promote understanding and
foster common interest and to seek
friendly understanding, aye, to es-
tablish common counsel and turn the
light of world opinion upon develop
ing controversy, than to seek super
government and the suppression of war
by force. We picture the temple of
world justice rather than the worlds
armed camp Of war.
II am for cooperation among ma
tons. know full we'll that Amer
lea, whether we look at it merely
from sentiment Or whether we look
at it from the point of good sense,
must take her part in the worlds af-
fairs. We are not unmindful of the
g..
humanity nor turned our backs on real
progress.
"But we held there is no need of
an American surrender OF sovereignty
to play a righteous nations part; that
super government is neither necessary
nor practical; that we are not called
on to mortgage America to keep faith
with mankind.
at is one thing to recognize the
new order in the world and voice
Americas willingness to play her part
and quite another to cry out agains t
a proposal to destroy every precious
American inheritance. The Senate and
our party have recognized much goou
in a new world fellowship and co0pcra-
ton, but we insistently reject all that
menaces America. Article X is men
ace and super is repugnant
to every American ideal
Places People First
''To be practical we must separate
the wheat from the chaff. More than
that, | say that the American people
have already done so and that | have
already done so, and that the chaf
insisted upon by the Democratic plat
form and the Democratic candidate has
long ago blown down the wind toward
oblivion.
81 said in Des Moines on October z:
"'To formulate a plan of interna-
tional cooperation, which will con-
tribute to the security and peace Of
the world without sacrificing or dan
gcrously dluting our power to di-
rect our own actions, is a task of no
small difficulty. | should not be fit
to hold the high Office of Presid dent
if l did not frankly say that rs a
task which | have no intention of
undertaking alone. There are many
and conflicting opinions among the
people and among the members OF
the Senate upon the subject. These
opinions must be reconciled and har-
monized if we are to have any inter
national association for peace at all.
~ repeat now that l will do moth
ing without consulting the American
people and their representatives.. Oul
opponents are presenting an impos
sible program which they could not
put into execution even though they
were in power"