The sun., 1919-07-31
SAYS IT'S CHOICE OF
NATION OR LEAGUE.
Ex-senator Beveridge Warns
Reservations to Covenant
Are Vital.
sHANTUNG SEED OF WAR
+ Seen Monroe Doctrine Clause
as It Stands Now as
Camouflage.
sHANTUNG SEED OF WAR

MADISON. WIS, July so.-Former
sd States Senator Beveridge, speak
* Are tonight under the auspices Of
ne League for the Preservation Of
: American Independence. asserted that
the Constitution would literally be man
.sleA II the League Of Nations were to
DO Accepted in the form proposed. He
said that the question to be decided by
. the American people Ia. simply, .Do
we prefer our nation or DO we prefer
the league"
Everything comes to that, said the
former Senator. and Il IL rapidly grow
ing obvious to the people. At the
outset he denounced the shantung set
tipfnent as one of the very worst fea-
lures Of the peace treaty ana as
great incentive to war In the future.
saying:
"We know, OF course, where Shan
tung Is with its incalculable resources
and its twoscore million Of wronged
Inhabitants, but, except that we alb
hor and ought to repudiate the brutal
immortality OF delivering that land and
those people to Japan, what is Shan
tung to ,us7 II fight we must about
CIhntunk WOulu We uCt pIOIbI 10 nBnh
on the side of its outraged millions
rather than on the side of their despon-
ersf Yet not only are we TO be made
q p,Fty TO that infamy. but. II we
soin The league. we shall be obligated
II to support 1t BY American life and
treasure.
1--WE have learned recently where
Flame is; but is the decision Of the
question whether that town shall belong
to one European government or another
worth the life of single American
boy Of dollar Of the American peo-
pies iioney?'
He then pointed out that the covenant
fixes the size of the army and navy Of
the United States, and takes away our
4 national power to increase either no mat.
ter how great an emergency might arise
binds us In certain cases to cut on all
commercial ana financial relations with
t(nother nation. an act which would
wrench and dislocats the business indus
tty OF the country, and binds US to turn
over to the superstate for settlement
other purely domestic questions.
~ 1Aese. said Senator Beveridge, were
Just few OF many instances by which
the Constitution would be superseded
He wondered what had become OF The
American draft" for a League of Ma
Il ns, and pointed out that all American
yestions had been rejected except two.
!, these were 30 juggled as expressly to
defeat the purpose they were intended to
accomplish. First, there was the Mon
roe Dostrine amendment inserted to still
the thunder of protest from America and
designed to be nothing moro than camou-
mage. The Senator said:
y "As a matter Of fact. that so-called
amendment (Section XXI. OF the cove
nant) specifically and in terms surren-
ders the Monroe Doctrine. This tradi-
tiopai and exclusively American policy is
defined to be nothing moro than an In
ternational engagement Or regiopai
understanding like any OF those recent
and vague claims which various nations
are now making. The right to say what
this fundamental American policy means
or how It shall be applied IL taken away
from the American Government and
lodged in the government Of the super
state.
THAT this is true Is proved by the
Interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine
Amendment which the Britisir Govern
. ment announced the moment that add
100 Y y made to the league covenant.
The British delegation Immediately issued
formal and official statement that this
amendment means that the Monroe
Doctrine had ceased to be an American
policy. and that should any dispute over
the meaning Of II ever arise
the league Is there to settle IT,
TN the face of this assertion, made
at the time this so-called amendment
was inserted In the covenant. made by
the most influential Power consenting
to Shis Amendment made by the Power.
indeed, that wrote the covenant, can any
man doubt that II we enter the league,
the Monroe Doctrine is destroyed II
the American delegation did not agree TO
the British Interpretation OF this amend
ment,' why did not the American delega-
ton. Immediately deny that interpreta-
It said that harmony required
silence on our part? Why on our part
eione7 why did not harmony require
silence from Great Britain alBof Under
the circumstances did not our silence
amount 10 acouiescence7 Is 1t not GER
tain that IN case OF dispute the super
state viii maintain that we did acouiesce
and that we are bound by that aoquies-
fence7 And are the American people
Wiling to have that fundamental and
historic American policy--that purely
and exclusively American policy-the
Monroe Doctrine, thus annihiiatedf
"And yet when this amendment was
kirst cabled to America we were gleefully
but hurriedly told that the Monroe Doc
Urine had been saved How did II come
TO be in perilf Did we &c 20 war to
wreck or endanger that traditional Amer
lean policy so indispensable TO the Sc
curity, power and we'll being of the
American nationr'
Ex-senator Beveridge also attacked
the amendment seemingly permitting
the united States to withdraw upon two
years notice, but not until "every obliga-
ton" IL fulfilled 70 the league. This is
more camouflage intended to deceive the
people, said tho Senator, until the league
could be clamped upon them.
He warned his hearers that II the
United States goes In, she will have to
stay ir .fgf Nher way out, just as she
must make up her mind to go to war
whenever the League dictates and when
ever the territory OF any members Is in
danger In that way the American Re
public is made a party. tho Senator as
serted, to all OF the quarrels and all or
the wars Of foreign powers.