The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-18
SENATOR COLT
STRONG FOR THE
NATIONS LEAGUE

WASHINGTON. July l7.-Announc-
Ing his support Of tho principles ON
bodied in the league of nations cove
nant. bu, Withholding judgment regard
ing certain reservations. Senator Colt.
Republican. Rhode Island. told the SEN
ate today that he nation must at
/ least See tn" great undertaking upon
which We have embarked in entering the
war through 20 the end. which can only
BE- done BY becoming a member OF tn"
, league"
Tho Rhode Island senator declares
himself unable to agree with the OBJ
/ ,rctions that the league would create
"a Supcr-si.ttc or suhvert the American
! constitution. He said however. that the
| Monroe doctrine must he clearly safe
] guarded and domestic questions left for
| national action.
: "Th" League OF nations in it's essence
IS simply an association Of free ma
TONS" he said. The principle OF in
t"rcSt corporation as the means by
which international peace can be mad"
secure has never been tried before. All
other means Of preventing war have
tailed. Not TO Try this experiment
would leave the world in the same con
= dition Of international anarchy as IL was
before the war. There is no antagOnISnI
: between tru" nntionalism and an inter
lrationaltsm winch would substitute tn,
rcign Of law for the reign of force.
IF We hrlcv" that II would he dis
honorable to withdraw from Europe At
, this time. Ia desert France. England and
( Italy in this critical hour when tn"
whole world IL in a turmoil. then the
/ United states should certainly reWair,
IN the lcagu" during the world-settlc-
! u ,rIn
stored To my mind We must at lens:
Sc the great undertaking upon which
! "" embarked IN entering the war
thruu gh u the end and AS n part Of this
undertaking We must help To rc-estab-
nsh n now world order by the enforce
mcnt Of tn" terms Of peace. which can
only he done by our becoming mem
bcr Of IN" league Of nations.
II believe the great mass OF me
! American people are convinced mat
something must b" done 10 prevent 1u-
ltrIrc wars. They want something done
They do not want To leave the world In
its old condition and they favor the
league Of nations based upon inter
national cooperation IA the best solu-
! ton of the problem. ! am in favor or
the principles embodied in the l"hgu"
of NATIONS This does not moan that
|
should he ratified IN the precise form
| in which il is now presented.
! There has been much controversy
| over the question whether tho league
should not b" separated from the peace
treaty. | hav" always believed the
League to hr :nSrparablc from the peace
| treaty because IN" treaty cannot be en-
| forced except through tho league. the
peace treaty leaves tn" world on nre,
with national aspirations unsauSned.
territorial limits vnt"nn"d. racial CON
| n:cts impending &',h inciPi"nt wars
already started. II It * unthinKRhIr
for us 10 desert England. Franc" ana
| Italy when the world ~ IN chacc. We
must become n member of the league "a
providing the only machinery for res .
toration Of peace and order.
The provision OF the league with TO-
spert to arbitration or Investigation
and reports have been criticized as not
strong enough, but they clearly Will !
tend to prevent war. As 10 the Scner- /;
al objection that tho league creates p. !
super-Statc and hence ls dcstruC'iv" or !
our Independence and sovereignty. ] am !
unable 10 soc the force Of tho argument |
in support of this proposition. A SUI ,
pcr-statr cannot b. formed when every |
material power that is exercised by tho
league requires the unanimous consent