Arizona republican., 1919-06-23
The Late German Navy

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 Republicans, doubt, would very deeply regret to observe a vacancy within their party occasioned by the removal by MT. Borah of himself from il. But they better afford such disaster than to permit any member of the party to enforce his views upon it pain of abandoning it. The re- publican party a great party before Mir Borah had emerged from his swaddlng clothes and no doubt 1t will be great party long after he laid away in his shroud
 Mr. Borah talks wildly of an American party to be born of this controversy. There can be no such party born of an issue on which good Americans honestly divided Mir Borah charges Mir. Hays the republican national chairman, with attempting 10 commit the republican party to a position of neu- trality. It may be asked whether that is not the proper position of the republican party or any party? Surely republican be justified in opposing the League of Nations because a democratic president has been influential ill it's organization. And he would be weak and apron-string led democrat who would be for the treaty only because he was follow ing party leader. As party issue the League of Nations would not be worth quarreling about.
 Much of the froth has been blown off of the ques- tion. Americans are disregardng the bunk which has been advanced both for and against it. On the one side the talk of revamped humanity, a new day guaranteed peace heaven earth, appeals to no sensible Nor, the other hand, the menace of our surrendered sovereignty. of super nation create a panicky alarm.
 We do not suppose there is a man of good sense in the country who believes that League of Nations will bring end of war-the most he expects of it is that will reduce the chances and the of war. Nor do we suppose there is another sensibe in the United States who believes that the American people would for a moment stand for a provision of the League of Nations which threatened their sovereignty restricted their natural rights and privileges # the leagues restrictions were oner ous congress and the administration would be forced to afford relief Then there would be an issue. If congress and the administration should act, the consequence would be a congress and & new administration
 Americans a rule regard the League of Nations ss an experiment worth trying as something which if it does not accomplish all that optmists claim for it IS incapable of the harm which pessmists pre- dict. The American people not likely to break out into heat and desert old parties and form new a proposed experiment.
 We do not think the American people are quite at a anyhow it does not need guarding If so it ambiguous that in itself it is likely to provoke dis sensions, but it is entirely unlikely that they could become so bitter to engender war
 We do not suppose the Monroe Doctrine was Dperled by of silence concerning it in the original covenant No American government except possibly the present one would permit an infringe ment upon it, covenant or no covenant An attempt to infringe upon it would be the immediate death of the league.
 The amendment of the covenant awkwardly guards the Monroe Doctrine. Perhaps it does not guard it at all; anyhow it does not need guarding If so it would not be guarded in the very wholly inaccurate description of it in the amendment:
 Article 21.-Nothng in this covenant shah be deemed to affect the validity of international en- sagements such as treaties of arbitration regional understandings like the Monroe Doctrine for the maintenance of peace"
 There could not be fragrant instance of the use of wrong meaningless words for the sake of their use. There is voumnous description of what the Monroe Doctrine not, It is international engagement. It is not regional understanding any understanding at all. It not promulgated for the maintenance of peace. It is nothing but policy of self defense 1t is notice ot Europe to keep hands off of America. It was formed without consultation with any nation in America Europe. It is an understanding agreement only in the that sign, "No shooting on these grounds, is ali agreement or an understanding
 The amendment proposed by Mir. Root cures the amendment Of the covenant of it's inaccuracy and ambiguity and removes at least possible cause of dispute. Such dispute might never arise, probably you'd not No nation, believe, would take ad- vantage of technicality to seek advantage which sopld surely the American people to resent ment .yhich could produce but result.
 The Root proposal is precaution well worth taking as the League of Nations is experiment trying. Opposition to it would either be purely partisan else it would from persons at home or abroad who really entertain the foolish hope that te Monroe Dictrine may be abandoned.