The Ordway new era., 1921-04-22

20 eliminate the burdens Of neavy
ar,noment a The United States ever
w;lI he in harmony with such a move
ment toward the higher attainments OF
neace. But we shall not entirely oil.
cord our agencies for defense untii
tbere is removed the need to deieno.
vo ore ready to cooperate with other
,,tions to approximate disarmament,
nmt merest prudence forbids that we
disarm alone.
League Of Nations serapped.
In the existing League of Nations
world governing with its super-powers,
This republic will have no part. Ihere
can he no misinterpretation, ana there
win be no betrayal of the deliberate
EXPRESSION of the American people III
the recent election; and, settled IN our
decision for ourselves, 1t is only fair
to saw TO the world in general, ana 10
o,r associates in war in particular,
that the league covenant can nave ho
sanction by us.
The aim to associate nations to pre-
vent war. preserve peace and promote
civlliZalon, our peopie '""S'
applauded. We yearned for TINS new
instrument of justice, but we can nave
no part in committal TO any agency
of force in unknown contingencies; we
can recognize no super-authorlty.
Manifestly the highest purpose OF
tho League of Nations was defeated in
linking it with the treaty of peace ana
making it the enforcing agency OF the
victors of the war.
Approves Peace Resolution.
"The American aspiration, indeed,
The world aspiration, was an assocla-
ton of nations, based upon the appl-
cation of justice and right, binding us
in conference and cooperation for the
prevention ,of war and pointing the
way to a higher civilization and inter
national fraternity in which all the
world might share.
In rejecting the league covenant ana
utterlng that rejection TO our own peo-
pie. and TO the world. we make no sur
render of our hope and aim for an as
sociation to promote peace in when
we would most heartily join.
We wish it TO be conceived in peace
and dedicated to peace, and will re-
linouish no effort to bring the nations
of the world into such fellowship, not
in the surrender of national SOW
ereignty but rejoicing in nohler
exercise of it in the advancement OF
human activities amid the compensa-
| ,inpe of nanpaf11 achievements
In the national referendum to which
| have adverted we pledged out ef-
forts toward such an association and
the pledge will be faithfully kept. In
the plight of policy and performance
we told the American people we meant
to seek an early establishment of
peace. The United States alone among
the allied and associated powers CON
tinues in technical state of war
against the central powers of Europe.
This anomalous condition ought not to
be permitted to continue.
To establish the state of technical
peace without further delay, I should
approve declaratory resolution by
Congress to that effect, with the quail
ifications essential to protect all our
rights.
Such action would be the simplest
keeping of faith with ourselves and
could in no sense be construed as n
parting with those with whom we
shared our sacrifices in war, for these
powers are already at peace.
Such resolution should undertake
to do no more than thus declare the
state of peace which all America
Graves. 1t must add no difficulty in
effecting with just reparations, the
restoration for which all Europe
yearns, and upon which the worlds re-
covery must be founded. Neither for
mer enemy nor ally can mistake Amer
ica's position, because our attitude as
to responsibility for the war and the
necessity for just reparations already
has had formal and very earnest ex-
preston.
1t would be unwise to undertake to
make statement of future policy with
respect to European affairs in such u
declaration of a state of peace
Must Safeguard Essential Interests.
The wiser course would seem to be
the acceptance of the confirmation of
our rights and interest as already pro-
vided, and TO engage under the exist
ing treaty, assuming. of course, that
this can be satisfactorily accomplished
by such explicit reservations and mod
ifications as will secure our absolute
freedom from inadvisable commit
ments and safeguard all our essential
interests.
We must not allow our vision to be
impaired by the conflict among our
selves. The weariness at home and