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ALJL JIEKCHAXDrSE: ADOTK
TKED IK THE TK1 KLLBrE
IS. GUARANTEED
First to Last?the Truth: News ? Ediforials - Advertisements
WEATHER
Thrcatening. foHowcd by rain to?da.T,
mui-h colder this afternoon; rain
or snow and colder to-morrow.
Strong s-outh ivinds
Full Report on Page 8
Voi. LXXVIII No. 26,407
rCopjTijrbt. 1919.
-Vew York Tribune Inc.J
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1919
* * *
Twn iTVTa"" Greater >>?? Vork sr.d I THRKi: CENTS
"" ^^->is YOtiiinioinmutins <ii>tan<o f l-lsrirliere
?
Defies Critics in Parting Speec
9
e
*
2ue
Port Tied Up
When 12,000
Workers Ouit
Ferries to Staten Island
and Brooklyn Running;
U. S. Mediator llopeful
Tv><> Weeks' Food
Supply in flifv
Railroad Boats Are Out of
Service; Milk Delivery
Likely To Bc Dclavcd
Tn confonnancc witli orders ri'' Ihe
Marine Workers' Affiiiation, I'J.OOO
harbor worker: struck ye terday morn?
ing for . ? hour day and higher
pay. The strike paralyzed harbor traf
fic and li ? ? ght was thrcatening to
i.pread lo thi loi gshorcmen and leam
: ter:.
At the same time James L. Hughe .
r11 f-rl as the ablest mediator in the
service of the United States Depart?
ment of Labor, was seeking to bring
about an ngreement between thc
parrics by which work might bo re?
turned at once. }%rly last cvening he
declared peace was by no nicans in
fight, adding that he bad hopes i oi ic
thing might develop this morning.
"Ft may be," said he, "thal they will
have to fight i;. oul. But f um a
chronic optimist and hbpe something
will develop in tlio next few liours."
t/nlike thc utrike of Janttary 9, fche
Staten Island and Brooklyn ferries
vrere not affected, crews on these
boats remaining on duty. Faced by
fhreatr of prosecution, . the unions
made no atti npl to pull theae men
out, though by a \o'c of thc strike
committee ye terday morning the
to i all them o l o ld thc
commiticc deein this action nr..'. ,.
was rescrved.
Of these, according to Captain Will?
iam A. Maher, of the strike committee,
the union !ino boat* to Brooklyn will
be struck thij morning.
I'errics for >lilk Refuscd
One unpleasant result of the strike
jo-day ia expected to be late milk de
liverie: in Manhattan and The Bronx.
To avoid this, rfprcsentaLive^ of the
big r^ ii- companiea ni'd thc Board of
Health asked the Btrikers to man four
Krie a^a Pennsylvania ferries. Thc
request. was refuscd, necessitating
routii g coming to New York
by the Erie, Pennsylvania and Lchigh
Valley road" through the Pennsylvania
tubes to Long Island City.
No shortage of food % expected un
1n:-3 the trike remains on for more
Than a fortnight, the city, according to
food and railroad officia!?. having an
ample i ipply foi *t lcast two
weeks, if not tl ree. This reserve is
srgi due to the fact ihat low prices
forproduce have led to large increases
ia thi ocl of -torcd goods, and thc
additK.i.H: ? that for s< veral day;
'"ood ha bei n rushed to the city in
Mrticipation of a strike.
?Vo perishable food. other than that
coming in by way oi New York Central
or New Haven line?. will be accepted
for N'ew York pending settlement of
the trouble, or if an acutc situation as
rog&.os supphes should arise. Then, if
nec?--ary, ,-uch freight will be routed
over tho Poughkeepsie bridge, as was
doi' . '.he firet utrike. This will not he
<ione now, it war* explaincd in the of
Jices of A. H. Smilh. regional director
of railroads, because it was thoughi
best not to have two branches of the
government acting at crosi purposes.
Bar to Settlement Lvadcd
"Mr. IIutrhe->, reprcsenting Secretary
o* Labo; Wilson, is trying to arrange
an smicable settlement," it waa ex?
plaincd. "Now, if the railroad adminis
tration should put itseif in the posi?
tion of trying to force the strikers'
hands the effect would bc confusing
and might be bad."
Promptly at *> o'clock, the hour set
for the strike to begin, crews 6t vari?
ous elasses of boats that had been
?t work during ; I e night made for
their berths to tie up. Others, due to
Itart out a'. that time or later, re
uained tied up, the crews taking care
-. al! fires and leave everything
tteure. Thc only exceptions to this
*ere the ferryboats.
. lass of boats there waa
?oau oonfnsion. On the city lines
?perating to Staten Island and Brook?
lyn, Jol -. i! Delaney, Oornmission'-r
*f Plants and Structurcs, had been
WM a large par*. of the night trying
e men to icrnain at work.
"%;-<? pleasant words did not seem
?aective the threat of prosecution waa
Mtorted to. Lacklng definite orders
oi the '-.A'j lines remained at
*ork.
Railroad Vttrle+a llit Hard
The railroad lines were not so
**rtur,at*. On th* l^ckawarina, which
??<c*?sfully operated during the
**t>mry strike, the Twenty-third
2Jj*et boats continued to run. All
r? N'"r'h P-i,''*r boats were tied up.
iM '<:t/ situation provoked the
J*?*n which led to th? re.j,<>n that
Tfc V"*'' * *plit in ihn unk-n ranks.
** frict on aro>.e over a motion of
**? ^"eni'.'l'.i to exempt ail men on
SuT1*1 U''K '? frf,m th* ?trtk*
li?Jr' A substitute motion was rnad*
^J^?..-.%' he allowed to remain at
jji Continued on page eight
?WHf VfcJMtB *?MU*.--A4'<U
Berlm "Reds" Seize Police Offices
OERLIN, March 1 (By The Associatcd Press).?A Spartacide
marinc division has scized Police Headquarters, dispersing tho
government troops. The reappearance of Former Chief of Police
Bichhorn in his oM stronghold is expected.
Thr Spartacides are planning to attack Moabit Prison and lib
eratc Georg Ledebour, the former Social Democratic leader, .-ind
Karl Radck, a Russian Bolshevik agitator, who was engaged in a simi
lar campaign in Germany.
A general strike has been proclaimed at Bremen.
LONDON, March 4.?A general strike began in Berlin on Mon?
day ovening, a German wireless message received this evening an
nounces. All traffic has been stopped on the street cars and the
elevated aml underground railways.
Berlin is without water, elcetricity or gas, ihe Exchange Tele
L'i.inh corresnondent at Conenhacen rcnorts.
6 A ii li-Wilson
Snffragisls Are
Arrested Here
Wonien's Party Paraders in
Hiol in Broadway a* Why
Is Barred by Policemen
The cordon of police which was
ihrown aboul the Metropolitan Opera
Houso last night acted as a break
water against four attempts of suffrag
ists, Mooney sympathizcrs, and advo?
cate of freedom fnr Ireland to break
through and get lo Prcsidenl Wilson.
Si.\ of the women were arrested.
Ono of these attempts, engineered by
the National Womcn's party, developed
into a small sized riot, in which ban
ner; were trampled, blows were struck
by the frantic women, nn,| dressea
were torn. Soldiers, sailors and civil
ians minglcd in the fray, and Uie po?
lice had difficulty in prcvonting a frce
for-atl fight.
ln all, four altempl were made lo
shattcr the police lines. N'one was
- uccessful,
'lhe six women arrested were Miss
Alice Paul, chairman of lhe National
Woman's party; Miss Doris Stcvcns,
and Miss Elsic Hill, national officers
of tho organization; Miss Lucy Maver
ick, Mrs. Beatrice Castlcton and Mrs.
Max Bodcnheim.
They were hustled to thr- Thirticth
Street police station, where each gave
the )\^.ror "Jane !.<?(?" and were entered
as such on the blottcr, charged with
"disordcrly conduct." They were
placed in cells. and the patrol wagon
was summoned to carry thcm to the
Women's Night Court.
Suddenly, and without any accoin
panying cxplanation, they were re
j leased. They took a taxi and went back
to their headquarters.
I-'or "Insufticient Evidence''
Pol'ce Inspcctor Bolau ^aid later
that the women were released because
of "in;-;uflicieiu evidence."
At the time of the arrest the suffra
pists tried to argue their case with
Captain Hannon, who was in charge at
that point.
"What do you want?" the captain
asked.
"We want to picket the President,"
replied one of tho women.
"If you want to hold a meeting,"
said Captain Hannon, "go over lo Sixth
Avenue.''
"Wo don't want to hold a meeting,"
v. as the reply. "The Federal law
? guarantces our right to picket."
"No power haa ever bcon dclegatcu
to the Federal authorities," returned
Captain Hannon, "to allow pickcting in
thi;-! city."
Tho police met the women at first
good naturedly. It was a friendly
contcat of strcngth in the beginning,
but tempers rapidly changed when
several hundrcd men from the side
lines throw themselves into the con
| te.-'.t. They snatched the womcn's ban
Continued on payc four
BIG BUSINESS AHEAD
Spanish and French are Es
sentiai Factors In the Race
for Foreign Trade
New Vork, March 1.- There are
over 00,000,000 people m the West
crn Hemlspnere who talk Spanish and
who need our products. France needs
our help in the reconstruction of her
devastated country. It is now pos?
sible, according to the best authori
ties, to learn both Spanish and French
without leaving your flreside, by ua
ing specially prepared language ree
ords of any phonograph, The Cor
tina Academy. Desk No, 81, 12 East
Forty-sixth Street, Stw York City,
announccs that a copy of h vnluable
book descrlblng this wonderful meth?
od, together with prelirninary vocnbu
larles arid dialogues, will be sent
frw to all who v/rltc for the outlit
and wlil send fc?ti cents to covcr pack
iag, *n<l mftiling.?Advt, >
1I8011 itemscs
To See Cohalan
Itt Irish. Cause
V>K<m} il Hc Will Espouse
Erin's Cause, Hc Replies
Thal Question Is Unfair
Prcsidenl Wilson lasl nighl declincd
to kecp his appointment with the Irish
committee which waited on him at tbe
Metropolitan Opera House until hn
u surcd thal Suprcme Court Jus
i|." Daniel 1'. Cohalan would nol 1"
pre ;enl at the conference.
Thr- President and Secretary Tumul
ty paced the Thirty-ninth Street lobby
of the building for half an hour after
Mr. Wilson was heard to say to Secrcl
Service Chief W. H. Moran:
"1 will nol meet them if Cohalan i.
v itli thcm."
Finally Milcs McCahill, of the So
crcl Service, came 'down from the np
per floor, where. the committee war,
waiting, and spoke to the President,
who had just remarked that hc "would
give thcm live minutes more." Mr,
Wilson then went up to the conference,
lo which the pre.--, was not admitted.
Bcrnstorff Exposurc Rccalled
Justicc Cohalan's namc ligured in
the rcvclations of Count von Bern
storff's activitics, made after the
United States enlcred the war against
the Central Empires. It was also
chargod that he had met in confer?
ence some of the men accused of plot
ting in America Sinn Fein troubles
in Ireland. These charges he has
vigorously denied.
Former Justice John W. Goff, a
member of the Irish committee, said
nl 12:30 lasl night, that the Cohalan
incident was not. mentioned during
the "forum" with the President, but
that the committee, ns soon as Mr.
Wilson had left. adjourr.ed to the
ilotel McAlpin and discusscd lhe affair
at length.
Mr. Goff made the following state?
ment :
"At the requcst of the committee,
Justicc Cohalan declined to say any?
thing al the present time.
"The committee waited in the tlub
room of the opera house. on the graud
tier floor, from II until 11:28 o'clock.
Then wfc were informed from an au
thoritative source that the President
would not entcr the room where w<
were if Justicc Cohalan was present.
Committee Ipholds Cohalan
"The members of the committee, with
spontaneous unanimity, said that the
committee would leave sooner than
have Justice Cohalan leave alone. Then
Justicc Cohalan cntercd the discussion.
He .-aid:
" 'The cause is bigger than any one
man; the cause is bigger than I am.
For its sake I will leave the room with?
out question.'
"A number of the members imme
diately protested and said again they
would leave rathcr than permit Justicc
Cohalan to go alone.
"Hc persisted in saying thal we were
there to dischargc a duty and that, no
matter what personal csteem we felt
i'or him, we should not let those fcel
itlgs opcrate for one momont toward a
possibility of dointr 'he cause harm. He
therefore leit the room.
Cohalan Namcd Committee
"I want to call attention to tho fact
that, as chairman of the Irish Race
convention which met in Philadclphia
February --?'-'?> and had over 5,000 delc
gates from the country at large, Justicc
Cohalan appointcd the committee which
President Wilson met with last night.
We presented the President with a copy
of the resolutions passed at that con?
vention, drawn up by Cardinal Gib
bons." "
Whije President Wilson waited in
the lobby of the opera house he stood
by chance under a plaque of himself,
designed by Ma>: Bachman and bearing,
besidea tlie Presidont's prolile, the
words, "The World Made Safe for
Democracy." He stood during most of
th" half hour. but was spied by an at
t, ndant. A chair was then brought. for
him.
Committee Dcscribes Meeting
The committee at 1 o'clock this
morning issued the following state?
ment:
"Upon the ainval of the President
Justice Goff presented the resolution.
He skotched briefly the struggle of the
Irish race in the light for self-govern
meflt and called attention lo the words
of President Wilson to-night as well
as his exprcaslons for many months
past.
"Hc orguod vigorously that Ireland
came woil within al! doscriptions of
a ?telf-deteriiiining nation as laid
Continued on pcifjc three
ir you h*vl moii?,v, buy m?r?
l.lliKttTT BONDS?from us.
If you n<??<l money, wi> will huy
i.iui'.ii-rv hondm rrom you.
tToha Aluir A Cv., 411 ilYa; .?Aa. U
7
Senators in
Heated Clash
With Wilson
Uound Kobin Followedl
tlie Iron Front Against
the Naval Mcasurc
President Explains
His "Present Duty" i
Opposition lo the League
Grows; Exeeutive Is Ac
cused of Dodging Issue
By Cartei Field
Ni
York Vribu
on Bureau
rhc 65th
iy with the
Presidenl
has oceur
.1 ihe While
11., i
WASHINGTON, March I
Congress ender] at noon to-i
bittcre.st clai h between th
and ihe Icgii lator i which
red since Mr, Wilson c
House.
Not only did the Senate in its clos
ing hour: fail to pa: a bill i the failurc
of which has ahva; . mesnl in Ihe pasi
an almost immediate extra scssion of
Congress, but the upper house also em
barrassed thc Presidenl in two di3tinct
ways in his fight for Ihe league o\' na?
tions, as follows:
I. Thirty-nino Scnatoi
Congress ::ijrn.'ij or a
signing of their namci
robin, declarii
proposed, and
tlu
next
horized the
to ;j round
igainsl ihc league, as
favor of the conclu
tiion of the prwee treaty before Ihe
league, \v?j considered.
2. An iron front against the naval
bill, which would havo given the Presi?
dent, according t0 opponents of ths
league, a big club to use at the peace
conference, inasmuch as discretion
would have bccn vesled in him lo begin
nn armamcnl racc or not, as no saw
(it, without furthcr action bj Con?
gress.
Immcdiately following thc adjouvn
ment President .Wilson issued a state
ment explaining lii:; position and dc
nouncing the attitude of the Senators.
It read:
"A grouji.of men in thc Senate have
delibcrately choscn to cmbarrass thc
administration of the fjovernment, to
imperil the financial intcrcsts of the
railway systcms of tlio country and
to make arbitrary use of powers in
tended to he employcd in tho inter?
est of thc people.
"lt is plainly my present duty to
attend the peace conference in Paris.
It is al?o my duty to bc in close con
tact with the public business during
a scssion of thc Congress. 1 must
make my choice between these two
dutics, and I confidcntly hope that
? the people of thc country will think
'. that ! am rnakiug the right choice.
"It is not in the interest of the
i right conduct of public aflairs that I
i should call tho Congress in special
i scssion while it is impossible for me
j to be in Washington becauc of a more
i pressing duty clsewhere, to cooperate
with the house/.
"I take it for granted that the men
who have obstructed and have pre
vented the passage of necessary leg
; islation have taken all of this into
consideration and are willing to as
I sume the responsibility of the im
paired efflciency of the govern?
ment and the embarrassed finances
! of the country during the time of my
enforced absence."
Republican Senators Bittcr
Republican leaders contrastcd the.
President's statement with the lan
; guago he used just before going to
' Europe in December, when tie was cx
I plaining how easily he could attend
| the peace conference and yet keep i.i
| sufficicntly close touch with the Icgis
I lative situation iu Washington.
i Three months and two days ago,
i when the third scssion of the Sixty
! fifth Congress convened, President Wil
! son explained that he would be abscnt
during thc most of the scssion and
added:
"I shall bc m close touch with
you and with affairs on this side of
the water, and you will know all that
I do. . . .
"... I shall not be inacces
sible. The cablcs and the wireless
will, render me available for any
Continued on page six
On Page 5
The Late 65th
Congress. Its
Record in Re*
vie w.
Consult The Tribune Tax
Service Dcpartmrnt, on Ihe
Business Page.
Salienl Points in Wilson's Speech
C*ALIENT points in thc President's address last night wci'c:
"Thc first thing that I arn going to tcll thc people on the other
side of the water is that an overwhelming majority of thc American
people is in favor of thc T.eague of Xations. I know that that is true."
"No party has thc right to appropriatc this issue and no party
in thc lonir run will dare oppose it."
"Intriguc cannot stand publicity, and if thc I cague of Nations
were nothing but a great debating society it would kill intriguc."
"Germany would never have gone to war if she had permitted
the world to diseuss the aggression upon .Serbia for a singlc. week."
"And l want to utter this solemn warning, not in thc way of a
threat?the forces of the world do not threaten, they operale?the
great tides of the world do not give notice that they are going to risc
and run; they ri.se in their majestic and ovcrwhelminc; might, and
those who stand in ttic way are overwhelmed."
"I particularly cannot imagine how they can bc Americans and
set up a doctrine of earcful selfishness,"
"There is no course of foresight or of prudenee in any modern
cabinet to stop war."
"There is no reason why nations should be divided in the sup?
port of justice."
I'aft and Wilson Knter
Big Meeting Arm in Arni
Great Crowd Stands and Cheers as They Step
Out on ihe Stagc; Chief Executivc LooksCare
worn and His Words Laek Old-Tiuie Fire
President Wilson and former Presi?
dent Taft walked arm in arm onlo the
tage of 'h,o Metropolitan Opera House
last night lo speak for the league of
nal ions.
To this unprecedented political spec
tacle the erreat. audiencc rose to its feet
as lhe band burst into the strains c>\'
"The Star-Spangled Banncr." Stalionrd
at. cilhcr end of the otago.were guards
ff i^o^iers, standing at attention about
the national bannor, and a detail of
marines ir similar attitude grouped
about the flag of the President.
No more in. pn-ing spectacle ha~ e\rr
b^fere been witnessed ii' t'ne city than
that which grected tbe audience at this
point. Previously they had been en
tertaincd by h patriotic concert, and in
rcsponse to bugle calls the eolor guard
and the marine detail had impressive'y
marched upon the stage and taken
their positions in anticipation of the
advent of the Presidential party.
Audience Joins Choruscs
Patriotic choruscs, in which the au?
dience parl icipated, further whiled away
the time. The house, which from the
opening of lhe doors at 7 o'clock hnd
slowly been tiliing up, was now jammed
from pit to dome.
Historically impressivc and dramat
ically perfect. President Wilson's ap
pcal last r.ight for tho league of n.t
tions on the cve of his return to Paris
left his large audience only moderatcly
cnthusiast ic.
Xot one grcst outburst of checring
marked the mceeting. Spontarieity
secracd lacking. Handclapping was
frcquent. Chcers now and then punct
uated the Presidcnt's uttcranccs, as
well as those of former President Tai't.
But only at the conclusion of their ad
drcsses were these tributes general
throughout the house.
The President ncithcr spoke of the
Locige resolution against the league,
nor gave his side of the declaration of
war in kind against the thirty-seven
Senators who have pledged themseives
against his project.
Leavos Dctails to Taft
The Presidcnt's address was along
the appealing lines of tho Boston ad?
dress. Detailed arguments he left to
Mr. Taft, or, rather, after Mr. Tsft
has cxhaustively analyzed the league.
Mr. Wilson excused himself from go
ing into detail because the former!
President had already done so,
The President wa3 impressive, and
sincerily echoed from hir. well modu- j
lated, though never high-pitched voice. j
At time;; his tones trembled as if he
were decply unde-r the influence of the ,
; emotion which stirrcd him. He. geemed I
| somewhat weary. Tle gesticulated sel- I
, doni, and vigov was lacking in hi:
, movements. His address was fiUcd
with hi3 little etiaracteristic mooaics
; of speech.
A\ hen, at the conclusion of his ad?
dress, a single voice in the top gallcry
shouted: "What about treland?" there
was a distinct halt in the procccdings.
following which the hand struck up a
march iune and the incident passed.
A Cosmopolitan AsFcmblage
lt was a colorful audience, the like
' of which has probably never before as
: semblcd in the Mctropolitan Opera
1 House. On thc main floor men in cve
ning dress with handsomely gowncd
women touched shouldcrs with men
and women in business attire. In the
: grand tier the hoxc- v.cre wholly oc
: cupied hy partics in evening dres?,
with uniforms of thc army and navy
, and marine corps intcrspersed here
. and there in picturesque contrast. In
the upper galleries there were solid
masses of ordinary folk. It was notcd
later that it was from these that most
of thc applause came.
The whole picture, surveyed from the
stage. where were gathered the mem?
bers of thc committee having the meet
1 ing in charge. and the invited guests?
generals, admirals, distinguished folk
! from civic life?presented a gorgeous
picture of the cosmopolitan life of
America. The colors of the Allies
floated in all their splcndor from roof
; to floor, flashing their victorious com
binations in thc blazing 1:frhts from
the grand chandelier.
First honors went to Governor Sinith
and his staff, who entered the stagc at
<S:to o'clock and were grceted by a
generous v.-elcome. There were re
i newed handclapping when the Gov?
ernor turned to his defeated opponent,
Mr. Whitman, and warmly clasped his
Continued on page three
Heavy Guard Escorts President to
Transport for Trip Back to France
President Wilson began the last
journey he is to make for some
months to come on Arnerican soil at
11:80 o'clock last night when he came
out of the Metropolitan Opera House
and started in a limousine for the
transport George Washington in
Hoboken.
He left the opera house under hcavy
guard. Oouble lines of police on
Broadway kept the crowd far back
from his car and a swarm of secret
service men surrounded it. A cheer
arose when the President and Mrs.
Wilson crossed the sidewalk in front
of the Metropolitan lobby. The Presi?
dent lifted his hat in acknowlcdg
ment.
Accompanying Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
in their machine were Cleveland H.
Dodge, Rcar Admiral Cary T. Grayson,
the President'a physician, and Miss
Bonham, Mrs. Wilson's secretary. Fol?
lowing the Chief Fxecutive's car were
a score of automobiles containing
Secret Service men, police and members
of the Presidential party.
This procession swung through
Fortieth Street to Sevanlh Avsau*. *nd
sped south to Twenty-third Street,!
where the ferryboat Elmira waited toi
transporl it to the Lackawanna dock '
in Hoboken. Jt was under the charge \
of William Smith, superintendent of
Lackawanna ferries. The Elmira docked :
in Hoboken at 11:59.
The President's car was drawn at
once to the army pier, through another
lane of police and Secret Service men.;
and entered the pier by the Newark \
Avenue gate. Eight motorc;vcle police?
men accompanied it.
A quad of sailors stood ac "present"
ns the President's machine rolled
down the pier and camo to a halt
where a gangway reached up into the
tail side of the George Wcshington.
President and Mrs. Wilson went di
rectly aboard the transporl, reaching
her deck at 12:06 a. rn.
During his journey from the Opera
House to the George Wasl ington, Mr.
Wilson was in the best t|' spirits, and
chatted and laughed with Mr. Dodge
and the other passeng>Ms ln his car.
The George WasbIngton is scheduleJ
to sail at 8; 10 o'clock this morning.
No Party Will Dai
?.o
e
31 ?
iciares
Calls Hostility to Draf t of the Covenant
"Careful Selfiskness"; Says Publicitj
Is Bi? Fori e for Peace
*ack She
If America
Woukl Be Cont em ptiblc
Declares People of All World AreLook
ing io United States to End
Strife of Nations
(n his speech ai the Metropolitan Opera House last night, the eve
of his departure for France, where he said he would' remain until "it
was over, over there," President Wilson said the Senate opposition to
the league of nations was ba ;ed on a "doctrine of careful selfishnei "
"I've lieard no constructive suggestion," hc said. "IVc heard only
Uic suggestion, 'Would it not, be darsgerous for us?'"
If the United States did not enter the league, he declared, it would
be "the most contemptible" of nations.
Tho President's speech in I'ull follows:
jYl > rellow cituens, I acec-pt the in
' tjmat ion .,(' (hc air ju -I. play< d;
1 will ii'il come back "till it's over,
.,,v'"i' L.herc." And :,-i [ pray God, in
rth'e interests of rr*<'c end of 1hr
world, thal that may be 30011.
The firsl thing thal 1 am going to
tell the people on thc other side of
the water is that an overwhelming
majority of tho American people is
in favor of the league of nations. I
know that thal is truc; I have had
unmistakablc intimations of it. from
all parts of tho country, and the
voice rings truc in every case'. 1 ac
count mysclf fortunate to spcak here
under thc unusual circunistances of
this cvoning. I am happy to associatc
mysclf with Mr. Taft in this great
cause. Hc has displayed an elevation
of view and a devotion to public duty
which are beyoiid praise.
And I am the more happy because
this means that this is not. a party
issue. Xo party has the right to ap
propriate this issue, and no party
will in the long run dare oppo3e it.
"Will (,ive Only
Thc Setting"
We have listened to so clear and
admirable an exposition of many of
thc main fcatures of the proposed
covenant of the league of nations
that it is perhaps not necessary for
me to discuss in any particular way
thc contcnts of thc document. I will
seck rather to give you its setting.
I do not know when I have been
more impressed than by the confer?
ence of the commission set. up by the
conference of peace to draw up a
covenant for the league of nations.
The reprcsentatives of fourteen na?
tions sat around that board?not
young men. not men inexperienced in
the affairs of their owns countries,
not men inexperienced in the politics
of the world; and the inspiring in
buencc of every meeting was thc con
currence of purpose on thc part of all
those men to come to an agreemer.t
and an eflfective working agrecment
with regard to this league of the civ
ilized world.
There was a conviction in the whole
impulsc; there w?s conviction of
more than mu- sort; there was the
conviction that this thing ougki to he
done. and there was also the convic?
tion thal no; a man there would
venturc to go home and say that he
had not. tried to do it.
Now Rcsponsible
As Trustces
^Ir. Taft has set the picture for"
you of what a failure of this great
purpose would mean. We have been
hearing for all these weary months
that this agony of war has lastcd
of the sinister purpose of the Central
Empires, and wc have made maps of
the course that they mcant their con
quests to take. Where did the lines
of that map lie, of that central line
that wc used to call from Berlin to
Bagdad? They lay through these
very reglons to which Mr. Taft has
called your attention, but they lay
then through united cinpire; the Aus
tro-Hungarian Empire. whose integ
rity (Jermany was bound ;o respect
as her ally, lay in the path of that
line of conquest; the Turk;<>h Km?
pire. whose interests she profeased to
make her own, lay in the direct path
that she intended to tread.
And now what has happened? The
Austro-Hujigarian Empire baa gone
to pieccs and the Turkish Empire
nsa uteappearcd, and theuationsthat
effcctcd thal great resull for it was
a result or liberation -are now re..
sponsibla as ihe trustees of the a-,
scts of (ho e grcal nations. Vou noi
<vou!d have weak nations lying
-??'"- but you would bavc np
>? which tVrt old poi:Ol.Oll .
??""' of intrigue could be planted,
the certainty thal tbe crop
would bc abundant; and one of the
things that the league of natioi i
intended to watch is the course of
intrigue. Intrigue cannot stand pub
licity, and if the league of nations
nothing but a great debating
society it would kil] intrigue.
It is ono of the agrcements of this
covenant that it is tbe friendly righi
of every nation of the league\o call
attention lo anything that it thinks
disturb the peace of the world.
no matter where that thing 13 occui-'
ring.
There ia no subject that may
touch the peace of the world which
is e.\empt from inquiry aud discua
sion, anci T think everybody herp
present will agree with me that Ger?
many would never have. gor.e to war
' had permitted the world to
diseuss the aggression upon Serbia
for a single week. The British lor
cign Offlce suggested?it plead?that
there might be a day or two delay.
so?that the reprcsentatives of th*
nations of Europe could get together
and diseuss the possibilities of a set
tlement. Germany did not dare per
mit a day's discussion.
IVations Began to
Draw Together
You know what hapnened. So soon
as the world realized that an out
iaw v.as at large the nations began.
one by ono. to" draw together against.
her. We know for a certainty that
if Germany had thought for a tno
ment that Great Britain would go in
with France and with Russia she
never would have undertaken the cn
terprise; and the league of nation;
1? meant as a notiee to all outlaw
nations that not only Great Britain
but the United States and the rest
of the worid will go in to stop cnter
prises of that aort. And so the
league of nations is nothing more or
less than the covenant that the world
will always maintain the standards
which it has now vindicated by some
of the most precious blood ever spilt.
The. liberated peoples of the Aus
tro-Hungarian Empire and of the
Turkish Empire call out to us for
this thing. It has not arisen in the
council of statesmen. Europe is a
bit sick at heart at this very rao
ment. because it sces that statesmen
have ro vision. ar.d that the only
vision has been the vision of the
peopit. Those who suffer see. Those
against whom wrong is wrought
know how desirable are the right
nnd thr richteous.
The nations that have long been
ur.der tha heel of the Austrian, that
have long cowered before the Ger?
man, that have long suffered the in
describab'e agonies of being gov?
erned by Jhe Turk, have eallad out
to the world, generation after gsner
ation, for justice, for liberttion, for
