Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-09
MIXED IN HIS FACTS

With his customary contempt for accuracy when he
seeks to make a point, Senator Borah- asks why it is that
New Zealand is to have a vote in the assembly Of the
League of Nations while Minnesota is not; and The says in
substance that in the control of her foreign relations Min
nesota is fully as independent as New Zealand. In this
Mr.. Borah shows that he is utterly Indifferent to the fact
that he is talking nonsense.
There may be excellent reasons why each of. the
forty-eight states of the American union should have a
vote in the league assembly; or there may be equally good
reasons why neither New Zealand nor any other Of the
British dominions should have a vote. But Mr.. Borah
does not set forth any of those reasons. And his compar-
ison Of the International status of an American state and
a British dominion is pure bosh.
!. Each American state is a member Of a federation,
and as such is represented On an equal basis with all
ether states in the general governing body. Through the
action of the congress composed Of senators and represen-
tatives chosen by the votes of its own people and the
people of other states, and through the acts of the chief
executive. similarly chosen, each state participates d-
rectly in the determination Of every public question that
arises, domestic or foreign. Through this system of d-
rect and equal representation each state participates in
making war, concluding peace, making treaties, levying
customs and internal taxes, and in all the work Of govern
ment: The state. aiding as 1t does in the performance of
these acts as a member Of the general body, does not and
cannot perform any Of them separately and independ-
entity.
1t is true that the self-governing domipions of the
British empire do not, in form, make war or negotiate
treaties with foreign powers, but in all other respects
they are as Independent as separate nations would be.
When the British parliament declared war on Germany
every British dominion became technically at war. But
the manner and the extent of the participation Of each
dominion in the war was a matter for that dominion to
determine for itself. The British parliament did not, and
could not conscript a soldier or levy a dollars worth of
taxation In any colony which has its own parliamentary
government. The revenues were raised and the men were
provided, through the acts Of the colonial parliaments.
They could have been withheld had the colonies SO de-
sired.
One Of the most vital attributes Of sovereignty is the
control which a nation exercises over its foreign COM
merce. In that respect the sovereignty Of Britain's great
colonies is supreme. Each colony can and does prepare
and enforce its own tariff policy. Each can, and does,
levy customs duties on imports, not only from foreign
countries. but from the mother country as we'll. Eight
years ago Canada rejected the reciprocity agreement with
the United States. But she rejected it Of her own Yree
will. She could have accepted It and operated under it.
And under that agreement her trade with the United
States would have been conducted with greater freedom
and on more favorable terms thsnfher trade with the
United Kingdom. "
For these and numerous other reasons the statement
g Mr.. Borah falls to tho ground. Made BY some men it
you'd have been attributed to ignorance. Made by a man
with the Information Of Mr.. Borah hes. it is just plain
reckiessness.