Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1922-05-02
G. 0. P. SNEAKS
INTO LEAGUE
BY SIDE DOOR
Arthur B. Koontz, Recent Demo
cratic Nominee For Cover
NOR, Finds Sentiment is
Rapidly Crystallizing
For Peace Pact


Through the Four-Power treaty.
the Republican party is merely sneak
ing into the Leagte of Nations through
sfde-d0or entrance, Arthur b. Koontz,
prominent Charleston attorney and re-
cent Democratic nominee for Cover
nor, intimated in a recent interview
with a capitol city newspaper writer
on the League subject, of which he has
made study and with which he is
thoroughly con yersant.
Ultimate complete adoption of the
League of Nations, as written at Yer
sailles, as a world gov erning pact
Ia predicted by Mr.. Koontz, who points
to the rapidly dwindlin majority
given Harding in 1920 at the close of
a campaign in which the League was
a dominant issue
1T is being clearly demonstrated by
events from day to day that the
League of Nations, as a terse express
sion of intern tiona cooperation. re-
fuses to accept tie mandate to remain
buried" Mr.. Koontz says. Adoption
of the Fcur-Power treaty with Demo
Gratis in Congress joining Republicans;
the Genoa Conference and the recent
public endorsement, given unequivo-
caIly by James NJ. Cox, the Democratic
standard bearer in the last general
election, and 9TH leaders in both par
ties, all tend to prove that the League
of Nations, which lay IL IRE or less
dormant for year under the weight
of the 1920 landslide, is again being
brought to the front in world affairs
without any influence whatever on the
part of its principal author, Woodrow
Wilson"
Mr.. Cox was not the first political
leader to revive discussion of Ameri-
can entrance into the League. 1t came
from the other side of the political
fence and from the other side of the
water. Recently former Governor
Frank 0, Lowden, of Illinois, one of
the leading candidates for a Repub
lican nomination in 1920, in an inter
view from Naples, Italy, after a study
of European conditions, declared:
''Many of our problems would be
more easily solved if we were men,
Der of the League Of Nations"
Mr. Koontz, who recently returned
to Charleston from business trip
through the east, where he sounded
out political sentiment as to national
issues, says that the political signifl-
canoe is being attached to the Lowden
statement by leaders in both parties.
Republicans and Democrats alike
are convinced" Mr.. KoontZ says, shat
the League of Nations looms as a
real issue in the presidential campaign
of 1924. These political observers
further agree that whether it will
be the paramount issue depends large
ly upon the future international policy
Of the Harding administration"
It is the opinion of many, Mr..
Koontz adds, that the lines are already
being clearly drawn in the Republican
party for the 1924 campaign with Low
den, as a pro-League candidate, run
ming in opposition to Harding.
In discussing the League, Mr.
KOOntZ said:
81 am truly glad that the Democrats
Joined in the adoption of the four
power pact it IS what the Republicans
should been Zig enough to do on the
League of Nations. When / say Re-
publicans, l near the jealous Republi-
can leaders in Congress at the time
eli
and have no reference to those real
statesmen such az Hughes, Taft, Root
and many others who were above par
tisan politics where the welfare of the
world was involved.
'The conditions through which we
have passed and are passisg in the
United States could have in large
measure been avoided by the early
settlement of the Worlds problems.
An early settlement could have been
made by wise counsel We are no
longer a nationeby ourselves, for our
selves and disconnected from the other
nations of the world Our prosperity
depends largely world conditions.
st is impossible for us to prosper
unless the nations with which We do
business are prospecting. They can
not purchase our goods beyond GER
tan. point unless they can pay for
them. They cannot pay for them I'M
less they have money or are producing
something which will take the place
of money.
1.-The evils that have been done by
the delay we are guilty of can new
be repaired, but we can be of assis-
lance in the future both to The world
and in no less measure to ourselves
BY Joining around the table and kelp-
ing to work out the problems which
confront both the individual nations
I'D the world at large. Call it what
you will. league of Nations, 1nterna'
tional Council, or even Lodge" Paci
let's get in on 1t and do our duty
and get back into the prosperity list
1--WE have had too much normally
already-may we now have little
prosperity.
I'VE can do this by adopting the
plan advocated by the last Democratic
party in the last general election.
Thie ,,lan ;c ooIlod oTha Ioauuo nj