Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1919 — WILSON’S WORDS CLEAR UP DOUBT [ARTICLE]

WILSON’S WORDS CLEAR UP DOUBT

CALIFORNIA THROWS OVIR ITS LEADER, JOHNSON, AND RALLIES TO LEAGUE. % WEST GIVES HIM OVATIOH All Doubtful Features of Pact Ara Explained Away By President. and Former Doubtere Hasten to Give Him Their Support. (By Independent New» Bureau, formerly Mt. Cleowna News Bureau.) Aboard Preaident Wilson's Special Train —A continuous ovation along the Pacific coast and then on his eastward way back toward the capital was given to President Wilson as he came toward the end of his month daylong speaking tour in behalf of the League of Nations. California, particularly the delightful city of Los Angeles, went wild in Its enthusiasm for him and his advocacy of the League, and it was In that state, perhaps, that he did his most successful missionary work. Hiram Johnson, California’s former governor, now her United States senator, and considered by her as the most likely Republican candidate for the presidency la 1920, had before the arrival of President Wilson, convinced a great number of clt Isens that the League as at present formulated was not a good thing. He had told them that the United States, because of it, would be drawn Into every petty European quarrel; he argued that we would lose our sovereignty by joining with the European nations. He had blafoed the president for assenting to the possession by Japan of the Peninsula of Shan Tung in China.

BUREAU CHANGES NAME

The Mount Clemens News Bureau, which has been furnishing reports on President Wilson’s tour la behalf of the League of Nations to 5,500 papers, has adopted a new name and will hereafter be known as The Independent News Bureau.

But Mr. Wilson, with clear logic and with compelling eloquence, answered to the entire satisfaction of California’s people every objection which Senator Johnson had made to the League. And thousands of the state’s citizens deserted the Johnson standard immediately and rallied to the support of the president More than that, tfiey came forward and said, "We were against you, Mr. President, but you have cleared everything up and now we are with you heart and soul.” Still more than that they let Senator Johnson know that they were no longer with him and that they disapproved of the speaking tour which he himself was making in opposition to the League and so powerful was the volume of public opinion which reached him, that the senator almost Immediately abandoned his tour. The Shan Tung question, because of the antl-Japanese feeling which undoubtedly exists along the Pacific coast was the most serious which the president had to answer. He explained to the people that he had been powerless to prevent the rich peninsula from being given to Japan. England and France, through a secret treaty, had promised it to Japan for entering the war and remaining in it That treaty had to be carried out Anyway It was not China that was losing Shan Tung, but Germany, which had seized the terrt tory from China Ln 1898 and held 11 ever since. Japan had promised, ths president explained, to return Shan Tung as soon as the peace treaty was ratified and it was only through ths ratification of the treaty with ths League of Nations inclusion, that China could ever expect to get hei former property back. And she surely would get it back, he declared, through the ratification of the League.' There fortJ, through the same instrumentality no other nation could again prey upon the "Great, patient, diligent, but help less kingdom-” As to our being drawn into any European conflict. The pres ident pointed out that no direct action such as the sending of troops to any part of the world to maintain or re store order could be taken by ths Council of the League without a unanl moms vote of the council members therefore our vote could at once nega five any such proposition as sendinj our soldiers where we did not want them sent. Besides, Mr. Wilson argued "If you have to quench a fire in Call fornla you don’t send for the fire de partment of Utah.” But, he argued there probably never will be anothei war, If the League is established, foi the members promise either to arbl trate their difference and accept- ths decision of the arbitrator, lay the dis ferences for discussion and publics tlon before the Council of the League for a period of six months, and then if possible, accept the council's advice That failing, they agree to refrain front war for a further period of thre< months and nine months of "coollni off,” the president contended, would prevent any armed conflict. These cleai explanations satisfied every reasonable hearer and destroyed the "Bugaboos’ which Senator Johnson and others had raised against the League. Through rugged Nevada into Utah, the land ol Mormon a, the president swept to find that those fine people were heartily with him for the League and a per ttanency of peace.