The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-12


IF the United States or any other
great country should refuse. no mat
! ter how speci0us the reasons. to full
! fill both in letter and spirit every OBJ
! legation i'll this covenant the United
States would be dishonored and the
league would crumble into dust, leav-
ing behind it a legacy OF wars"
Quoting a press report that BE.
douins were attacking the Kingdom
of Hedjaz, the senator pointed out
that Hedjaz was member of the
League whose integrity the United
States would guarantee to preserve
from external aggression under the
covenant.
Under Article H. he said, If
King Hussein appeal to us for aid and
protection against external aggression
affecting his independence and the
boundaries OF his kingdom, we should
be bound to give that aid and protec-
ton and TO send American soldiers to
Arabia. ! am unwilling to give that
right to King Hussein and this Illus
trates the point which is to me the
most Objectionable in the league as
II stands; the right of other powers
to call out American troops and
American ships TO go to any part OF
the world. an obligation we are bound
to fulfill under the terms of this
treaty | know the answer we'll
that of course they could not be sent
without action by Congress. Congress
wonld have no choice II acting III
good faith
Let me now briefly point out the
insuperable difficulty which l find in
Article Is. 1t begins-lf there should
arise between members of the
League any dispute likely TO lead to a
Irupture'-. Any dispute covers
every possible dispute. 1t therefore
covers dispute over tariff duties
and over immigration.
AN immigration dispute or q dis
pute over tariff duties, met BY the
procedure set forth in article Is.
comes before the assembly OF dele
gates for decision by what is prac-
tically a majority vote of the entire
assembly. That is something to
which | do not find myself able to
give my assent. So far as immigra-
ton is concerned, and also so far as
tariff duties, although less important
are concerned. lsdeny the iurisdic-
ton. There should be no possibility
OF other nations deciding who shall
come into the United States, or under
what conditions they shall enter. The
right to say who shall come into a
country is one Of the very highest att
| tributes of sovereignty. If nation
can not say without appeal who shall
come within its gates and become a
part of its citizenship it has ceased
| to be a sovereign nation. II has be-
come tributary and subject ma
| lion. and 1t makes no difference
whether it is subject 10 league or to
a conqueror."
The Senator said that British dele
gates to the Peace Conference, in a
statement regarding the Monroe Doc
| trine had asserted that should dis
pute arise as to the meaning OF the
Doctrine, the league is there to set
IL, il.
1T has seemed to me-" he continu.
ed, that the British delegation tray-
eled q little out OF the precincts OF
the Peace Conference when they UNI
dertook to explain the Monroe Doc
trine and tell the United States what
it was and what it was not proposed
to do with it under the new article. 4
''rhe Monroe Doctrine was the cor
ollary OF \ Washington's neutrality
policy and of his injunction against
permanent alliances. 1t reiterates
and reaffirms the principle. We do
| not seek to NEEDLE in the affairs of
Europe and keep Europe out OF the
Americas, 1t is as important to keep
the United States out of European af.
| fairs as to keep Europe out of the
American continents.
ut was purely an American doe
trine. purely American policy, de.
signed and wisely designed for our
defense. 1t has never been an Inter
national engagement" No nation has
ever formally recognized it,. 1T has
| been the subject of reservation at in
ternational conventions, by American
delegates 1t has never been a
regional understanding, or an under
standing OF any kind with anybody
4 1t was the declaration OF the United
States of America. lin their own be
half, supported by their own power
lney Drought IL INTO DelnS ana lts
hlife was predicated on the force
which the. United States could place
behind it. Unless the United States
could sustain it. it would die. The
United States has supported it, I
has lived-strong, efficient, respected
1t is now proposed to kill it by a pro
vision in treaty for League of Ma
tons,
why, in the name of peace, should
we extinguish it? Why, in the nam,
of peace, should we be called upol
to leave the Interpretation of thu
Monroe Doctrine to other nations
II is an American policy. It is on
own. 1t has guarded us well, and
. for one can never find consent in m,
heart to destroy it by clause in.
treaty and hand over its body for dis
; section to the nations OF Europe.
Another point in this covenan
: where change must be made in ordel
; to protect the safety of the United
States IN the future Is in Article |