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Show REV. GODFREY MATTHEWS GIVES HIS OPINION OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY SEN. JOHNSON At the First Congregational rhu'n h last nicht, the Rev Qodfrej Matthews delivered an address on the subject, Senator Hiram Johnson, the League of Nations and the (lospel of .Testis " The substance of the speaker's themo was as follows "Ogden was visited yesterday b B United stales senator whoso reputation reputa-tion In recent years as a forceful lichter in the behalf of idealistic ind progressive government has won him the acclaim of a grat following During Dur-ing the entire campaign in which he has worked he has been heralded ns an American speaking for American' n this Mtal subject of the league of nations It Was not to be wondered at therefore that a great crowd gathered in the Alhambrs theatre to listen to hat he iintiit have to say in opposition opposi-tion to ihe league. It was to be expected ex-pected that patrlotii citizens who are anxious for their country's present welfare md its future influence on ihe affairs of the whole world would give him an uttentlve hearing. But may 1 be pardoned for declaring that 1, as one of those who would understand (he opposition to the league came away Badl) disappointed that a speech, carefully care-fully Composed, forcefully delivered, and attentively listened to. had in it nothing that spoke lo thn d ;n -,t heart ol this unfettered naiion whose belief in people as people Is the most profound pro-found principle actuating our government. govern-ment. "Mr. Johnson spoke as a patriot and as an idealist. I can well believe him to be such because over and over again he told us he is an idealist and a patriot Allow me to offer a correction correc-tion of Mr. Johnson's language. He is a nationalist. I read you just now from the ninth chapter of the Gospel, according to Saint John an account of one of the many controversies in which Jesus was engaged with the nationalists na-tionalists of His own race Read that over .'lA-.iln In our own homes and draw for yourselves the distinction between be-tween a nationalist and a patriot In the finest sense of the meaning of the word, Jesus was the greatest patiiot the world has ever known and it is because of the common man's belief In him however much he may quarrel with sects and churches that Jesus Is still the hope of the world "Mr. Johnson's pat riot Ism can be richtix challenged on the grounds of the caricature he drew of the present president of the United States. Mr. Woodrow Wilson according to Mr. Johnson, is a simpleton who went over to Paris and to Versailles, represent Ing this country, determined to do cer-iain cer-iain things, believing in fourteen principles. prin-ciples. Arriving there he allowed the other representatives to inveigle him into silence on the matter of his fourteen four-teen points, he accomplished nothing for the good of this America. He contrived con-trived by what little he did say and tho less he did to engineer Into being a so-called league of nations to enforce peace which is nothing else than a mighty machine for tho provocation of future wars. This simpleton, now o eupying the presidential chair, BO r-r forgot what America is that he contrived con-trived that she should become the active ac-tive all v of peoples in Europe ani Asia who are constantly on the lookout look-out for trouble and the making of future fu-ture wars. President Wilson, said Mr Johnson, is the man who sat in the other fellow s came and who got wh't the fellow always gets when he is fool enough to sit in the other fellow's game. "According to Mr Johnson's picture this president of ours is not only jot worthy of respect, but ls such a hopelessly hope-lessly incapable imbecile that he it not worthy of intelligent consideration for one moment. As a matter of facl Mr. Johnson knows, as you and I ought to know, that the league of nations na-tions as it Is presently before us was the work of others and President V il son Years ago men like Sir Edward! 1 then foreign minister of Great Britain, had been working on such a scheme. Years ago men like ex-President Taft had been working on a similar simi-lar plan Genera,! Smuts of South Africa had been working on the same idea "Substantially the league, as II came actually to be was the scheme Of which I'resident Wilson had thought and planned Any impartial observer Of modern history knows that Instead of sitting in the other man's game and getting what such a fool always gets, President ilson was more successful than his most ardent admirers and well wishers could have hoped Mr. Johnson, speaking about President Wilson, was one American speaking! about another, and his description was! nothing short of the mo.-t deliberate caricature. I "Continuing in the same strain Mr.' Johnson allowed his gift for wiltul ! misrepresentation to have full pla. In I delicious caricature of Mr. Lloyd George Mr Lloyd George is "the lOther fellow" Mr Liuyd (;.'()g i1 the cunning tric kster who invit.d Mr. Wilson to sit Into the game Mr lohnson took off his hat to Mr. Lloyd Oeorge Ho exulted in the prhb- Mr. Lloyd George expressed in the house of commons when he said that j e haul added Son.Ono square miles to the British empire Mr Johnson admired the skill of this British premier who told his people that not only had he enlarged the British empire but he had made It so that in any future war which Britain might wish to engage in the United States would automatically j come in. Now. my friends, Mr John BOD Is not honest here He does not take off his hat to such a low trick ster. He does not exult in such a boastful beater of the big empire drum He has not any room in his heart for such a cunning scoundrel who inveigles a grea' people into a contemptible alliance 'or future wars. It what paper did Mr Johnson read Mr Lloyd George's speech0 On what date was it delivered, and where' We were never told How do I know Because Be-cause 1 happen to know what kind ol a man thiH brave little W elahman is who more than any oihyr proved to be the savior of his country in the dark est hour of its existence, I know by what I have seen and what I have heard from him in days gone by. Mr. Lloyd George is no ihe kind of per son whom Mr. Johnson pictures. He does not talk like the California sena tor makes him talk I would as soon believe Senator Johnson's description I of him as I would believe the man I w ho told me that Frank Francis, the 'editor of tho Standard, is a man of profane speech. Capable BS the editor of the Standard Is, he has on" unique distinction In this lnteri lotinlam country coun-try he cannot swear, il is curious how different the criticisms are on these men There is a weekly paper published in England which 1 have I never taken but which I have frequently fre-quently read. It is edited by one of the greatest Nationalists p.Hve today. It is called John Bull, and edited by Horatio Bottomiey Whenever i read it I take hold of it with a pall of long. A few weeks ago I read ;n article in a copy of it entitled. "The Cur? for Bolshevism." Mr Bottomiey went on to put his country to rights and cure all its Ills. The best cure he h;:d to .oner was to turn down the league of nations which he characterized as ihe league of notions This league of notions, no-tions, says Mr Bottomiey, Is ihe vork of a college professor turned president presi-dent of the United State.-;. This wily I professor delayed, debated, discussed, (hindered the peace conference until he got his league of notions passed. Why did he do that? asks Mr. Bottom'ey life did that in order to allow ry I big commercial, and industrial enterprise enter-prise In the United Stales get her agents into the fields of the entire world and capture the trade of the British empire. This wily college pro-lessor, pro-lessor, who talked religious idealism and the league was in reality nothing else than the supremely capable business busi-ness leader of the great business na-i na-i t ion who went to Paris In order to gain every possible vantage poini. for I the business of his country and succeeded suc-ceeded in doing it. So there you are, j Mr Johnson's Imbecile, is Mr. Bottom-I Bottom-I ley's devil. We have a great president presi-dent ' "Mr. Johnson gave us another d m-onstration m-onstration of the new arithmetic, ihe British empire in thL league has six votes The United States one. We were supposed to know as we listened 'to him that this meant that in every conceivable contingent I'ntaln would j". ote six and the United S'.ates one. Mr. I Johnson knows, as you and I ought to Know, that the six votes of the Brit ish empire are as follows In the assembly as-sembly of the league, that Is in the i house of debate anc1 discussion, Great ( Brit. in has one vole, Canada one. Australia Aus-tralia one, South Africa one. New Zealand Zea-land one. India one. Now who is the person of omniscie ice who says 'nat I even in this assembly every part of the British empire will vote tne one wa Canada has had lur poirts of difference differ-ence with Great Britain so has Aui tra lia, so has New Zealand, so has India, so has South Africa. Who says that r. the future they are going to see eye to eye? More than that, Mr Johnson i knows that in the council of the league 'where alone definile action can be taken the entire British empire, that is Great Britain and all her sell govern I ing colonies, has one vole, and tnat the United States has one vote. Mr. Johnson knows as you and I ought to know, that any act'jn decided on In the council must bo unanimous. Why "hen does he work on your feelings and call your attention to these khaki clad hoys who by the terms of the league will be condemned to f 1 ght ia every European and Asiatic brc il of the future? fu-ture? Why does h dcugt the upstpnd-iny upstpnd-iny democracy of his own country, of Canada, of Australia, of South Africa, of New Zealand, and the growing democracy de-mocracy of the great Indian naiion? Has not the time come in international interna-tional affairs to put Gladstone old test mon thoroughly into pra nee "Trust 1he people and by your trust they will Crow into the power of wise salt government gov-ernment ' Are we not proving iha'. very day of our lives right here ' Why chou)d we not be wilhng to put it .nto practice throughout the entire world. "Mr. Johnson, speaking as a patriot is utterly opposed to the league. If I believed as he did I would not waste breath in trying to amend it. I would Btand four square opposed to as a pernicious per-nicious instrument, contrived in every clause of it to provoke wars The world has had enough of understand ings and treaties for wars, llwc is a document meant to keep ihe big bully of the future in his ow n b.-o. K ard whoever he may happen to be, whether England, or Japun, or Fiance, Italj cr any other nation. You and I know what the development develop-ment has been over here. How that in pioneer days rough justice was meted met-ed out each man by himself. E erj man wore his gun-piece on his hip Murderous men went abroad whispering whisper-ing their vile threats, I'll get you. and when I do I'll get you good.' We have, altered all that We have caused and in the presence of judges here tonight to-night and practising attorneys I dare-to dare-to say that our courts are not yet all 'that they are meant to be, but they j aro Infinitely preferable to the uid-tlme uid-tlme rule of every man and his gun. Now what President Wilson, and General Gen-eral Smutz and others have tried to do is to say effectively, Let us hae a court of law for the nations where j discussion and debate may go forward' to the proper and just settlement of International disputes. Let us say as we have now effectively said to the greatest military power the world has ever seen. "Put your gun in your pocket and come quietly into court and tell us all about It. Wro are willing to listen, and we will do our best to i tie whatever quarrel you think you1 have in a just manner. But take that 1 gun off your hip and quit disturbing! the peace of the world by y our vile j threats ' That ls what the league of nations is meant to do. and that Is win , In this matter l am a supporter of the president in his desire to have this nation affirm and accredit the league I as it stands. "As It appears to me, Mr Johnson I brings charges against this president's Americanism He thinks Mr Uson forgot his own nation at Paris and Versailles, while he remembered every other people on earth. Now it looks, differently to me. President Wilson v nt abroad in the spirit of that America Amer-ica which I came to know first on the prairies of South Dakota, where, coming com-ing from Norway, Sweden, Germany, England and all over Europe the ser-tlers ser-tlers sought to make a living In th new land and found their American neighbors to be the people who helped out President Wilson saw the woe Ol the little nations of the earth, how cruelly they have been used as pawns In a great game. He saw their right -ful nirations thwarted, and their desires de-sires for a wise freedom and a useful life constantly In Jeopardy and he used his God enlightened brain in the task of saving the world from any empire em-pire whose dally practice it is The i nod old i ule the sli ip plan That he may take who has Ihe power, That he may keep who can " "Like Senator Johnson. I could talk for hours on this league. 1 hope I have sufticicntly indicated his language lan-guage as that of a nationalist I hope that you see as I think, sooner or later the world for Its good must see, as i Jesus saw, the life of the common m n as a brotherhood of the sons of God. Mr Johnson dismisses this kind Ol phrase as idealism who himself calls , himself an idealist. He dismisses it with a wave of his hand, this talk about a Fatherhood of God and a Brotherhood of Man. Hut il was fori this faith that the Savior of men died and 1t Is because-I believe the league of nations to be a sincere attempt to bind the peoples of the earth together I in mutual understanding and good Wil! thai I am In favor of it as it stands !for an immediate ratification of it h. :Our debating senators will allow." |
