The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-10-28

sented by Democrats, do not want
a midterm convention.
Here's the Point
The point is that Republican
running for the house of representa-
tives next year, say in Massachu-
sets. can run on any platform he
pleases. He can tell the folks in
his district, for instance. that he
wants all restrictions on cotton
planting stopped. so that cotton will
be cheap, and there will be plenty
of work for the local textile mills,
thereby enabling them to compete
with those of other nations. He can |
promise a fight to the death to bar
all textile imports, especially from |
Japan. He can promise to fight ev- /
cry appropriation for water power,
irrigation and reclamation projects
out West, which help to keep up
taxes but bring no local benefit to
his district. And in doing all this he
will not be handicapped by any ma.
tional party platform, or any party
leaders promises or speeches.
Out in the West. where water re-
source appropriations are wanted,
the Republican nominee can prom
Use to work like everything for big
appropriations for this type OF work.
He can promise anything he believes
will help his candidacy, regardless
/ of the attitude on the same question
/ of any or all other Republican candi-
/ dates.
Sen. David I. Walsh is fond OF
telling story of when he was chair
man of the Democratic senatorial
committee in an off year election.
He tells OF how he changed his line
Of speeches every time he crossed
a state line, making speeches LII
each case in line with the campaign
being made by the local Democratic
senatorial candidate.
Neutrality Law
The present neutrality law, on
which SO many political leaders and
pacifists pinned their hopes for keep
| llik LllS OliltCl otdlCS I'LL VI w O. 49,
virtually in the scrap basket. 1t
was repealed, so to speak, by edict.
Not formal edict, but presiden-
tial speech, which not only disclosed
clearly the attitude of the admins
tration, but which also received
overwhelming approval from the
country.
There were a few criticisms, not
ably that of Representative Hamil-
ton Rish,- New York's widely known
windmill litter, but they were just
the exceptions that proved the rule.
incidentally Mr.. Fish was one of
the few commentators who pointed
out just what the new policy laid
down by President Roosevelt means,
for there is no doubt whatever that
it puts the country squarely on
! the road to entanglements, which
the neutrality law sought to avoid,
| and might very easily lead to war.
: The Presidents plan is nothing
t less, in fact, than economic war,
started with view to making phys
: ical aggression Improbable. The
E President approves sanctions but
D would rely on economic pressure
Z rather than go as far as Article X
4 OF the League of Nations covenant
1 Article X provided for contribution
o Of man-power by all the membel
G nations of the league to constitute
Il an international army which Woult
police the world, crush the aggres
t sor in any war and virtually impos,
g judicial settlement of all interna
It tional disputes.
e President Wilson thought Article
: X the .heart of the covenant" HI
: bitterly resisted any reservation
It with respect to it. Opponents on tn
l. treaty, looking for issues on whicl
to arouse the country, made mucl
/ of the fact that enforcement of Art
II Gle X would mean American boy
again fighting in foreign wars, wit
which, they insisted, we had no con
Germ.
: Never Invoked
t. Article K has never been invoke
n by the league. No one has reall
" ever tried to invoke it. Which, som
a. think, proves that Wilson was rigf
g. about this being the heart of tn
&c covenant. They say that failure
rs invoke Article X against Japan fiy
ic or six years ago, and Italy last yea
In showed the hopelessness of tn
G. league as an agency for maintain
IS ing world peace.
It, But now President Roosevelt !
IS willing to go just as far, and the
m on beyond, anything the league h;
ry actually done or contemplated d
OF ing. Isolation" and quarantine
d. for aggressor nations are propose
to by the President as the British a