Manchester Democrat., 1920-09-22
SECRETARY OF WAR BAKERS
WATERLOO SPEECH.

NAIERLUU SfEEtHs
Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker,
at the urgent request of Hon. W. W.
Marsh and others, delivered an ad-
dress on the League Of Nations at
Waterloo last Thursday. He spoke to
a vast audience. Secretary Baker
was in Paris while the peace confer
ence was in session, and while there
he met and discussed world problems
with scholars and diplomats from the
uttermost parts of the earth. He
knows how the worldwide hopes and
desires of humanity for peace were
forged into the treaty.
The following are some of the
points made by Mr. Baker:
/ am immensely pleased to find that
the people of Iowa, the principal citi-
zens of your state, without respect
to political opinion, eminent clergy
men, educators, editors of great pa
pers, favor a League of Nations.
The League of Nations has in fact
been established and is at work IT
has already prevented war between
Sweden and Finland.
The United States alone OF the
great powers of the world is holding
itself aloof from the League. We are
holding ourselves apart from a con-
cert which we ourselves organized.
When the armistice was signed tho
people of America greeted one anoth-
er with sense of liberation from an
ancient and oppressive tyranny. We
surveyed our history and saw how the
little seed of democracy, planted In
1776 had multiplied, bringing bless
ings and opportunity to us and
spreading hope, and enlightenment TO
peoples everywhere.
When we were at war and forgot
our partisan divisions and conten-
tions, we were a great people, great
in our desire to have no. half way
measure in our victory, to have a
peace worthy of the sacrifices OF the
war. We stood like a good Samari-
tan helping to bind up the wounds OF
war, helping to relieve the distress IN
every land. But year OF dissension
in the United States Senate has dark
ened our hopes and weakened our In
fluence in the councils Of the nations.
The blight Of that senatorial discus
sion has fallen on the hearts OF our
once great hopes. Fathers struggle
to leave their children a competence
strengthen them for their battle in
life; they give their strength and
thought to the improvement OF condi-
tions in order that their posterity may
carry forward the race with finer
achievements. What gift could we
give our children that would meas
urably compare with their emancipa-
tion from the menace of other wars?
Every passion of man, every hone
Of man. had its representatives In the
great debates over the treaty, and the
eve, caught in the company there as
sembled a composite picture Of the
whole human race.
Senator Harding has been brave
enough to say that he. would throw
aside all the work Of that great coun-
Gil and start anew setiof councils and
conferences with view of involving
new and different results; but that
situation can not be reproduced; that
company cannot be sre-assembled, and
in no circumstances which Senator
Harding can create will there ever
be the coercive pressure toward peace
and Justice which made possible the
agreements OF the Versailles confer
encs. That there should have been
In he4work Of this council some points
as to which difference Of opinion could
arise was to be expected, but that this,
Treaty should finally be agreed to and
accepted by every nation and every
people in the world except ourselves,
Is miracle which those of US who
believe in divine control of human at
fairs may well be gratefully and rev.
arently attribute to an overrullng 1
The Senate of the United States af-
ter nine months debate was unable
to agree upon any change in any OF
the provisions of the treaty.
Were it not for the treaty of YER
sailles chaos would return again
more dreadful than before, because
the greater part Of the world is half
starved now and men do desperate
-hings when they starye.
Germany rescued from the false
'ate of Imperialism will again add
to the constructive
forces of mankind. The treaty guards
he German people against the impo-
sition of burdens greater than they
can carry. The German people can
never pay for all the damage wrought
~ their armies, and must not be over
ourdened and driven to further mad
ness by the councils of despair.
This country can never at any time
De required to do anything that it does
not want to do, because the covenant
provides that his country shall al
ways have one member of the council
for by the treaty, and no ac-
ion can be taken by the League
the consent of the council.
The President came very near CIV
ng his life for this Peace Treaty, and
low large number of speakers are
the country and giving
exhibitions of envy, hatred and malice
oward the President | have not
,ome to Iowa to defend the President.
If all men now living, he can with
he most assurance await the verdict
which the intelligence and conscience
# future generations will pass upon