Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-19

also until we know how peace is to be
sustained. whether by the arms OF
single nations or by the concert Of all
the great peoples. and there is more
than that difficulty involved. The
vast surplus property of the army, in
Guiding not food and clothing merely
whose sale will affect normal produc-
tion, but great manufacturing estab-
lishments which should be restored tc
their former uses, great stores OF ma
chine tools, and all sorts of merchan-
disc which must lie idle until peace
and military policy are definitely de-
termined. BY the same token there
can be no properly studied national
budget until then.
y Wilson Sounds Alarm.
THE nations that ratify the treaty
such as Great Britain, Belgium and
France. will be in position to lay
their plans for controlling the markets
of central Europe without competition
from us IL we do not presently act. We
nave no consular agents. no trade re-
presentatives there to look after our
interests.
There are large areas Of Europe
whose future win lie uncertain and
questionable until their people know
the final settlements of peace and the
forces which are to administer and
sustain 1t. Without determinate mar
kets our production can not proceed
with intelligence or confidence There
can be no stabilization Of wages be-
cause there can be no settled condition
OF employment. There can be no easy
nor normal industrial credits because
there can be no confident or permanent
revival of business.
But Will not weary you with OBJ
Vious examples. I will only venture to
repeat that every element of normal
life amongst us depends upon and
awaits the ratification Of the treaty of
peace; and also that we can not afford
to lose single summers day by not
doing all that we can to mitigate the
winters suffering. which, unless We
find means to prevent it, may prove
disastrous to large portion Of the
world, and may. at it's worst, bring
upon Europe conditions even more
terrible than those wrought by the var
itself.
Nations League Covenant ir Way.
Nothing, ! am led to believe, stands
In the way Of the ratification Of the
treaty except certain doubts with re-
gard to the meaning and implication u
certain articles of the covenant of the
league of nations: and I must frankly
say that I am; unable to understand
why such doubts should be enter
IN ~ &1n%
had the pleasure of conference with
your, committee and with the commit
tee of the house of representatives on
foreign affairs at the White House in
March last the questions now most
frequently asked about the league of
nations were all canvassed with a view
to their immediate verification. The
covenant Of the league was then In its
draft. subject to revision. It was
pointed out that no express recogni-
tion was given to the Monroe doctrine
that 1t was not specifically decided
that the league should have no author
ity to act or express judgment on
matters Of domestic policy. that the
right to withdraw from the league was
not expressly recognized, and that
the constitutional right of the con-
gress to determine all questions of
peace and war was not sufficiently
safeguarded. On my return to Paris
all these matters were taken up again
by the commission on the league of
nations and every suggestion of the
United States was accepted.
Says Wording 10 Clear.
"The view Of the United States with
regard to the questions l have men
toned in fact. already have been ac-
cepted by the commission, and there
was supposed to be nothing inconsist-
ent with them In the draft of the COW
enant first adopted-the draft which
was the subject Of our discussion in
March-but no objection was made to
saying explicitly In the text that all
had supposed to be implicit In it. There
was absolutely no doubt as to the
meaning. Of one Of the provisions Of
the covenant In the minds Of those who
participated in drafting them. and I
respectfully submit that there is moth
ing vague or doubtful in their wording
'"The' Monroe doctrine is expressly
mentioned as an understanding which
is in no way to be impaired or inter-
fered with by anything contained IN
the covenant, and the expression, re-
gional understanding like the Monroe
doctrine was used, not because any
one OF the conferees thought there was
any comparable agreement anywhere
else in existence or In contemplation,
but inly because It was thought best to
avoid the appearances OF dealing IN
such a document with the policy OF a
single nation. Absolutely nothing IS
concealed in the phrase
Defends Article XVI.
"with regard to domestic questions.
Article XVI. OF the covenant expressly
provides that, II In case Of any dispute
nrising between members OF the league
the matter involved Is claimed by one
.of the parties, and is claimed 10y one
council to arise. out of q matter whicn
nx international law is solely within
ths uomestic jurisdiction of that party,
the council shall so report, ana shall
make no recolnn,endatiop as to its
settlements
aThe United States was by no means
the only government interested IN the
,..i;ooDD.t..en Of this provision, ana
there is no doubt in tho mind OF an.
authoritative student of international
law that such matters as immigration
tariffs and naturalization are incon-
testably domestic questions with which
no international body could deal with
out express authority to do so. t-No
enumeration Of domestic questions was
undertaken.
I'The right Of any sovereign state TO
withdraw has been taken for granted.
but no objection was made to making
It explicit. Indeed. SO soon as the