The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-06-03
TAFT APPEALS FOR
LEAGUE OF NATIONS

William Howard Taft is not discour-
| aged over an ultimate ratification of
the League of Nations, as he told a
| Hood River audience in an address at
the high school Sunday afternoon, but
he believes it will only come with the
election of a new president who will
listen to reasonable reservations.
"God speed such day" said Judge
Taft, as he ended his talk.
Judge Taft came here over the High
way. He was scheduled to arrive at
! l2.3 30 o'clock, but was delayed en-
route. Following a luncheon at the
Hotel Oregon, it was proposed that he
be taken to the top of the Columbia
gorge in the apple district for view
Of Mount Hood. The delay, however,
neeessitated rushing a luncheon at
tended by 30 prominent citizens. and
again the distinguished visitor was dis
appointed in missing a sight of Ore
CONS great mountain which he de-
clares he has had to take on faith.
introduced by Mayor Scobee, Mr..
Taft made a short talk at the luncheon
in praise of Hood River apples. He
declared that he had never found any
thing in all the world to excel juicy
Hood River Delicious.
Judge Taft gently but nevertheless
telinPly decried the action of the sem
ate in its obstinate handling of the
League of Nations and President Will
son for his stubborn persistency in de-
clining to accept reservations that will
have no effect on the great purpose of
the League.
"Our chief magistrate may change
his mind" he said. ''and that is a con-
summation devoutly to be hoped for.
but in the face of past events hardly
to be expected. | have never found
myself able to agree with my friend
William Jennings Bryan, on anything
political, but in the matter of the
League of Nations he and | are in
thorough accord.
Judge Taft prefaced his address with
remarks on the Significance of Memor-
ial Day and tribute to Civil War vet
Grams who sat upon the stage. He
characterized the war of the Revolu-
ton and the Civil war as pertaining
solely TO ourselves. lie declared the
latter a necessary surgical operation
for the removal Of the fatal disease,
slavery, 'an excision by arms TO free
Us Of the cancerous growth. "
"But," he said, I'VE stepped forth
from our swaddling clothes when we
entered the Spanish American War.
We became a world power by freeing
Cuba ard saving the Philippines from
Spain and themselves. In the great
EuroI can war we were made To know
that we bad become leader among
the nations Of the world"
This preface gave Mr.. Taft a good
start toward an appeal for the League
of Nations, which he declares America
should ratify If the world cinches the
purposes of the great war. With the
League Of Nations as a subsequent
world event, he declared, the great
war may be said to have been fought
TO prevent further such terrible world
wide catastrophies.
The League Of Nations will vindi-
cate the sacrifices we made" declared
Judge Taft. otherwise they may have
been in vain.
Judge Taft explained the evolution
Of a movement Of League TO enforce
the peace, tie cited efforts Of his own
when he Vas president to secure treat
les with Great Britain and France for
the settlement Of disputes by arbitra-
ton. He declaFed, however, that the
original treaties were returned from
the senate to the White House so mutt
lated that they were scarcely recoEr5z-
able. He cited how a,moyement had