Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-09-11
HAYS GUILTY OF
BAD TASTE, SAYS
F. D. ROOSEVELT
Republicans Make 1t Appear
That Democrats Are Not
Good Americans.
REPLIES TO HAYS SPEECH
G. O. P. Chairman Offers a
Deliberate Insult"

tby lhe ASSuEinten lreft
PORTLAND, Maine. Sept H.
Charging that the republicans were
trying 10 make it appear that demo-
Gratis were not good Americans and
preferred an international flag TO the
Stars and Stripes, Franklin ID. Roose-
welt, democratic candidate for vice
president, replied here last night to as
sertions Of Will H. Hays, republican
national chairman, in his Augusta,
Maine. speech last month.
Referring to the text of Mr.. Hays
address which was entitled Under
Which Flag" Mr.. Roosevelt said the
republican chairman had Offered a
deliberate insult TO many millions,
probably the majority of our citizens.
and he was guilty not only Of bad
taste. but of poor political judgment" !"
The overwhelming majority of vot-
ers, he said are in every way loyal and
will resent any attempt by one group
Of leaders to take out an ''excluisve
patent" on our flag.
ITO claim that one party doctrine
Is the only American one is TO infer
that those who belong TO another
party faith are un-American. That
sort of campaigning ought not 10 be
excused even in the heat Of an cleo
tion."
"Mr Roosevelt declared he would
"be the first 70 insist that republi-
cans. rank and file. are just as sin
cerely proud Of our country and our
flag as democrats are. Mr. Hays and
his party differed, he said. in the big
conception Of the great purpose for
which our flag is the symbol"
THE same gentleman has used
with inaccurate, but deliberate care
lessness, the word 'internationalism.
With evident design he has sought to
convey the impression that people
who believe in the League of Nations
are Internationalists in the sense
used by certain radical groups who
do not believe in nations at all. or
who seek a super-governmcnt in
place Of true national governments.
For political purposes. he would rea-
son that one who seeks international
peace and international agreements
and international justice is thereby
an international red
The whole falsity Of this position
is shown by asking the simple ques-
tion Of whether the thirty-scven ma
tions who have already joined the
League Of Nations have given up
their own sovereignty. their own con-
stitutional rights. their own flags?
Even Switzerland, most jealous of in
dependence and wary Of alliances. has
voted by popular referendum to join
the league.
Long before 1914, American
statesmen advocated a League of Ma
tions. Some. like President Taft. fav-
ored one that frankly called itself
League TO Eenforce Peace. Yet he
was not called n traitor or follower
of internationalism.
I'VE have seen the failure Of The
Hague tribunal TO prevent wars. We
have seen. indeed. an increase in wars
and in the preparations for wars. The
other nations were well aware. that
the American flag carried a new mes
sage Of hope. that il represented a
great people opposed 20 aggression
and willing 70 change the existing
conditions Of mistrust and competi-
tive armament.
The great war came. and Ameri-
ca at last became a party TO the strug-
gle. But we did not join forces for
the mere sake Of crushing the kaiser
on the field Of battle II was not
alone kaiserism or the central pow
ers themselves that we were fight
ing. We fought for something con-
structive. in addition to the fight be
ing against something destructive.
Men and women Of all parties united
in demanding in 1917 that the evil
in the previous relationship between
nations should be III the future remov-
ed Mere good will would not re-
move the danger. mere international
courts had been proved failure A
definite. business-like concrete asso-
citation was demanded. something that
would prevent the causes OF trouble
! and not wait until trouble itself had
come to ahead.
In all Of this the nation was unit
ed. With this spirit and purpose. our
flag was carried across the seas By
the splendid men of our army and
navy. The people of Europe. too. un-
derstood the message. They welcom-
ed the accession Of military strength; /;
they knew that the allies would win in
the end, but they saw in the American
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