The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-28
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
COULD NOT STOP WAR
CONTINUED from page IL


on congress, he said, to back UP this
article of the league.
No congress would ever dare
make this nation apear as a welcher."
TT was reluctantly and with grave
nlisgivings," that Harding voted for
the league with the Lodge reserva-
ton. ne said.
But conditions have changed" he
continued. I'VE know now that the
league constituted at Versailles is
utterly impotent as a preventive Of
wars. 1t is so obviously impotent
that ii has not even been tried. 1t
could not survive a single test The
original league. mistakenly conceived
and unreasenably Insisted upon has
undoubtedly passed beyond the posi-
biiity o. restoration. The r15rurer
judgment OF the world will be that it
deserved 10 PASS fer the very simple
reason that, contrary u all OF the
tendencies developed by the civiliziEg
processes OF The world, it rested upon
the power OF might 10. OF right
The assertion is frequently made,
he added, sarcasticaliy, that America
could have saved the covenant. al
though twenty-eight nations already
belonging could not make il function
What can they signify II not that
II is 10 the United States aacne that
the other twenty-eight nations look
for the bone and sinew. the money,
The munitions and the men 10 sustain
the entire organization not as an
agency of peace, but as an armed
force" he asked.
Harding took q casual shot at the
naval governments" maintained IN
small countries of the West Indies,
declaring he would not empower IN
assistant secretary Of the navy TO |
draft q constitution for them and |
lam il down their threats at the !
point Of bayonets borne by United |
States marines"
Mexican outrages on Americans are
due largely to the 'wiggling and |
webbing policy of our government,
he added.
In 4 brief reference to the charge |
that he would be under domination
of the SENATE oligarchy' il elected, |
Harding declared that he has always
insisted on the senatorial prerogatives
and will with equal frmness insist
on the prerogstives OF the executive If
elected
"Am I right in saying" the senator
said, that we needed only the out
break OF a war between Poland and
Russia TO make Us realize at least one
OF these things which, in the words
of Secretary Lansing we would have
been let in for but for the restrain
ing hand of the senate and 10 fetch
home to US the danger OF committing
our country in advance 10 causes
that we know not OF danger.
All ~
an organization which calls Itself so
ciety for prevention Of war appealed 10
the premier Of Great Britain to unite
and use powers of the world in defense
of Poland, Armenia and the Darda-
nelles. The premier replied, accord
ing to the newspapers, that while
the formation of an international
army would be an ideal solution it
could not be accomplished because !,
the European nations could not fur :
nish the troops and the United States |.
had withdrawn from cooperation -
a polite and diplomatic phrase and
more exactly meaning, OF course, that
the senate OF the United States had
not completed the partial obligation
assumed by the president to do that !
very thing, that is, TO furnish the !.
troops. Could clearer indication OF
what would have been expected Of !
this country as member OF the
league be desired?
IF / should be, as I fully expect ,
to be, elected president Of this Just =
and honorable republic, l will not =
empower an assistant secretary Of !
the navy TO draft a constitution for :.
helpless neighbors in the West Indies
and jam it down their threats at the -,
point of bayonets borne by United :
States marines. We have a higher :
service for our gallant marines than =
that. On the other hand l will not
submit to any wrong against any r
American citizen, with respect 10
either his life or his property. By
any government. r
~ have already announced that =
shall urge prompt passage Of the
resolution, vetoed by the president
declaring at an end the preposterous .
condition Of technical war when we l
are actually at peace. Simultane" q
ously, shall naturally advise the re- q
sumption by the congress Of its ex- y
ceptional powers, which have been u
vested by war legislation, IN the
executive. l have no expectation I
whatever Of finding II necessary or al '
visable to negotiate a separate peace "
with Germany"