New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02

W WHGI laws -HpV snail govern the
people and what shall be their meas
ure and rules IF protection.
Thus this covenant will, if it be
comes operative, strike down most
vital provisions of the Constitution,
and here again it fails to meet the
test.
Only Share in Fights
4 come now TO the third question |
have put: Are the provisions of the
proposed covenant destructive of our
sovereignty?
Cast up in your mind the colossal
powers granted TO the executive coun-
ell Gin which, be it always remembers /.
we are but one of nine participating
powers); recall tho farreaching and
vital covenants into which we shall
enter as one of the high contracting
parties; and hold in mind that we are
TO give up tho power to say when we
shaiI nave war, WREN peace, what
shall our army number, how many
vessels Of war shall We have, how,
when, who're and under what condi
tons shall our army and navy be
/ used, when shall our treaties be bind
ing. what shall our treatment of com
meice be- how great shall be our gift
OF funds to other powers and therefore
how great the tribute we shall pay
consider all those, and you cannot but
say that our sovereignty has in mat
/ terra OF national life and death been
4 destroyed.
pause. Mr.. President and consider
what it is proposed to do. to take from
j, the social organism not alone the right
but the power Of self-dcfence. We
shall stand not only naked, but bound
and helpless. Why, sir, it is CON
tr4ry to the eternal course Of nature,
exhibited IN all her works since the
dawn OF time, Tor II dcfcncclcss or
rNnlSm TO survive, whether that or
ganism be plant animal or social.
! ITO" then shall we hope to )ivc7
independence Threatened
Il come now to the fourth and last
Of my tcats--Will this plan, if put
INTO operation, threaten our national
Independence and life?
- judged by all the standards of the
past, by history and by experience, we
must answer that it does
1T threatens our life in respect of
all those matters in which our SOW
erelgnty is impaired, because when
sovereignty goes life as a nation goes
lrdcpendence goes when our conduct
is dictated by others, when our con-
tlnucd existence depends upon the will
OF others, when we are no longer able
to avail ourselves of our wontod means
Of defence, actual or by anticipation.
THAT under this plan our conduct
is dictated by others cannot be gain
said when we recall that we may be
launched into n world wide war without
the power of determining what our
participation shall be, either in men,
armament or money. That our con
tlnucd existence depends on the will of
others is clear from the fact that,
disarmed by the mandate Of the league.
we shall not be permitted to increase
our armament save by the consent
of the executive council, no matter
how great or pressing the emergency
or the dangcr.'
End of Monroe Doctrine
Senator Knox contendcd that the
league plainly was an nbrogation of |
the doctrines Of Washington and |
Monroe
"ro say that the elaborate plan now
before Us, which contcmplates and pro-
vides for the mystery OF the world, |
does not run counter to these an
nouuccd principles IS to be blind to the
plainest meaning Of plain language"
he said. "MorooVer, to contend that
this great doctrine, which cmbodics
vital principle of policy, not mere
tenet Of international rule or Law, is
saved by the vague and general pre- /
scriptlons Of the covenant preamble or
by the poorly worded declarations OF
Article !, is either to convict of fall
urc to understand the question or of
deliberate attempt to impose on the
cradulity Of those who have not had /
opportunity to read the document
themselves.
"No, Mr.. President if we adopt this
plan we take from the Monroe Doctrine
it's life. we do not longer control the
destnics of America and the great
national security which for II century
has thereby como TO us has gone, per-
hars forever.
Calls Plan Failure
"rhus the plan fails TO meet cach
and every one OF the tests | have ap-
piled. II does not abolish or prevent
wars and it does sanction nnd com
mand them II does strike down great
constitutional principles, hulwarks of
our projections II dou- ron IA OF the
most vital attributes Of sovereignty. It
doea Threaten our Independence nnd
Al thia point senator KnoS grcw
most eloquent aud emphatic IN his
"Why then. and nsl. il in all sin
cellN' THIS ioVcrish anxiety Tor tho
adoption Of This plnnY Why Ia tnorn
lllH racing up and down over the lnco
OF TIE whole land by propngundiats
urging Ms uduption2
" NAT benefit IS to come from such
nn1 81 country AZ lis urged upon us 2
Who ale tho bonohciarips Of lila
l'lratal of our peoplo2 No nation
threatens us no group OF nations
soeks our destruction, nuvor before
Mern We relatively 50 strong. War
lHelf, the Front curse Of mankind -
llrlhor away to day than t. has bean
~ centuries.
"lluvo we shown outAolvea reeronnt
when 'he world luborod big with DO
lehlinl dihaaterY Let our billiona of
lrehaufe poured out na from perpetual
fountains. our tens Of Thousands Of
Foung lives nobly sacrificed in "A great
cauae, answer, Has famine failed 20
appeal to uR? Count the millions If
tons of food we send to feed the
starving Have we been deaf to the