Show l Discussing the League l I w T lIEN HEN President Wilson left the United Slates States for 1 V V Paris he declared that feelingly ho lie would report f t. t to It the peace conference that the American J. people were overwhelmingly in favor of the league constitution a as drafted in in Europe Many Ian of ot our leading statesmen took j exception to the declaration asserting that letters received received re- re by them showed bowed the opposite trend in public i opinion In the beginning the American people discussed a league of or- nations as a a. i con consummation devoutly e to be J t 7 wished for No one thoroughly understood the dis discussion discussion discus discus- us- us sion because no tangible document was l before the world and a league of nations meant any of- of twenty or oi thirty forms proposed The rhe object of a league o of oE nations alwa's always al- al ways was bad the indorsement Q of f the American public From om the beginning beginning- our people have sought peace both at home and abroad A division ion of Sentiment would f 4 have havo meant a complete J. J reversal of American thought But as soon as the Paris covenant was g given cn to the world tIle the unanimity of opinion which President Wilton Wil ViI ton sOn believed ed or said prevailed pre in lIf l t tbs s country was lost Since that document was published opinion has been divided and wavering cring The change is s not due to an any 1 militant spirit it ii i ii not due to any desire for more more i war Opponents and pr of r the Hie Paris tion make their stand on the thc same samp l ir to avoid a future war but they thor cannot t ir c-ir agree on n tb the course to be pursued There was wa hardly an any need for asking the public to J dis discuss this important question They would discuss it whether the they understood it or not regardless of Tt tivo J ti pleadings warnings or admonitions That char char- v J is peculiarly Am American rican and present day en- en owes owe much to its endurance through the trying hying days of history Ri Right flight ht here herc in Utah we have men 4 1 and women who unguardedly indorsed the Paris covenant cove cove- nant ant as a a. result of an earlier desire for a league of na t L i lions ions J to end war Open discussion of the constitution l however cr has served to cast a spirit of doubt over OYer them a 5 regards the tile specific instrument proposed i e I have They Their not changed their objectives in nn an reI re- re I Their desire is tire same as beford before h they honest honest- nest nest- 8 t l Iy ly want to see ee a world org organization which will prevent f war ar 1 Tilo ho change affects ol only ly the Paris aris constitution f t ff fOur Our people are not so o certain that it meets their desires desires de- de e- e sires and auel the sires they likewise see sec a danger of promoting e for themselves war by the removal of certain American t guarantees against As us peace a matter of fact i t dent ilson cannot truthfully President that thai say American opinion ion ton i is js in favor of the Paris constitution Had he lie said J that the American people i g league of nations which would favored ored a actually rid lid 1 f wt hc he would have e been Leen een close to lo the the world J r f. m 1 Ins however differs from the particular public constitution pulse J t- t before us Recent dispatches from Washington t r. r showed that ci eighteen senators h hud had d received thousands of or letters from their constituents Knowing these to be n a liar bar 9 4 of pu public lic opinion a correspondent took the time i to read seven forty-seven hundred of them Here is what lie ie found One thousand S1 six sir hundred twenty-eight twenty favor t the be league as IS now proposed one thousand two t hun hUll f red fort forty favor ol a league with reservations leser and two hundred sixty four expressed nd merely sought information information- no opinion L one thousand five hundred hun bun 4 dred eighty were positively opposed to the in it its Y form is is little H in these figures to justify the thc as as- f of President Wilson Vilson that the Paris C lion tion bears the indorsement of an nn overwhelming o majority ma lIla- of t the he American people A trav vote yole does docs not nol always show sho tho tile trend of oC public opinion but it never never- is not without value As often as not it is is in indicative in- in in- in ho of the trend of or t the hc times timea The Tue correspondent a analysis sig is at least more definite and tangible than thoI tho tim I assurance of President ent Wilson Vilson which seems to lo be based on a psychic understanding wo we know na naught u h t of |