Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-01
Covenant Not Really So
ciety of Equals, He
Asserts
NINE WOULD DOMINATE
Objects Particularly to Lack
of Basic International
LdiU Code
Continued from Page One

SIN view of these facts, we might
well forego its discussion until the con-
ference in plenary session has adopted
II, except that the report itself has
acquired for this nation a peculiar sig
nificance by reason of the fact that the
President presided over the body which
drafted IT. that he participated in the
proceedings incident to the drafting ;
that as president of the commission, he
read the report submitting 1t to the
plenary session of the conference; that
he indorsed the document and thereby
committed himself as National Execu-
tive to II; and that he has officially
assured, in his cable to the members of
the Foreign Relations Committees of
the two houses of Congress, that there
are good reasons even for the verbiage
Of the document crude as that is.
"I must for myself demand that any
plan proposed shall, to secure my sup
port, meet these simple and reasonable
tests:
do it's provisions abolish war and
make It hereafter impossible for 1
would be willing we should go far and
risk much to accomplish this)?
do it's provisions strike down our
constitution, or destroy our sovereignty.
or threaten our national independence
and life? For II the plan proposed does
condemnation of every loyal citizen.
"And tell you here in all soberness
that these matters must be approached
by aIl of us in q spirit of candid fair
ness, without csvil, bias, or partisanship ;
for our fate and the fate Of the world,
n this matter go certainly forward,
waits upon our decision.
"And one word further let me say: II
we are to go forward with this plan II
must be whole-heartedly and with abso-
Lutte good faith. Neither we, nor those
who represent us in the league bodies
must trifie with our sacred plighted
word. For veal or for WOO we must
stand by our covenant. We must never
leave in our history the taint of the
scrap of pager
Refers to Loose" Expressions
"Any definite and precise examination
or criticism of the covenant Is made i'm.
measurably difficult because Of the loose
ness of expression which characterizes
the document throughout; and while
shall not take your time to discover
mere matters of verbiage, there are two
such matters to which invite your at
tention because they relate to matters
more or less basic.
"The first Is the language of Article 1
which provides that the action of the
high contracting parties shall
be effected through the instrumentality
of meeting of a body of delegates
This as matter either of languag,
er of logic Is sheer nonsense, and ye
this article purports to lay down on,
of the fundamental precepts of the plan
zone is tempted to believe on casua
!, reading that this Is mere infelicity o
expression and that, after ALL the mean
ing may be plain; but further stud!
raises a serious doubt, because 1t Is no
at all clear whether the document set
up one or two operating entities for III
enforcement, as the following extract
will show.
Article T. prescribes that the actor
of the high contracting parties unde
the terms of this covenant shall be eff
Nfected through the instrumentality o
meeting of q body of dele gates represent
ing tho high contracting parties ant
B not of the league.
Article IL declares that any war o
threat of war Is a matter of concern 4
the league and that the high contract
ing parties reserve the right to take an.
action that may be deemed wise ant
effectual to safeguard the peace of ma
tions.'
Assuming the language Is CAREFUL.
chosen, II Is obvious that 1t is quit
impossible for the league itself, whicl
is the creature of the high CONTRACTING
parties, to reserve q right against tn
parties creating 1t, and yet it is quit
Ineligible and accurate to say that th
high contracting parties who create tn
league reserve q right as against tn
league itself.
again, in the last paragraph of Ar
finla tho hi0h r a citing rtfa
agree to establish a mandatory com
mission which shall. inter ALA. 'assis
the league in insuring the observanc
of the terms of all mandates
ARTICLE Is, provides that, in case
dispute between states, members Of tn
league has not bee submitted to arbi
tration under Article 13 (and possibl
12) then tho high contracting partie
agres that they will refer the matter I
the executive council but either part
to the dispute may give notice of tn
existence of the dispute to the secretary
general of the league.
Sees Absurdity There
"Under Article IS, the high contract
ing parties agree that the league shal
be intrusted with general supervision O
the trade in arms and ammunitions, etc
etc.
'It would be absurd here to substitut
league for high contracting parties
so that the sentence would read th
league agrees that the league shall
intrusted. ETC.
Again In Article 81, the high cor
tractipg parties agree that provisio
shall be made through the instr,
mentality of the league to secure an
maintain freedom Of transit and equ
table treatment for the commerce OF a
states members OF the league Oh
viously here the high contracting partit
and the league can scarcely refer to II
same operating entity.
How important this matter of po
sible double international entity is, b.
comes at once apparent when II Is Of
served that the provisions of the supe
covenant of Article 10 reads; The hie
contracting parties undertake to respe
and preserye as against external al
sKre ssion the territorial integrity and e.
listing political independence OF all stat
members of the league
az shall later comment on other GOV
nants of the high contracting parti
when Il will become Increasingly a
narent how indispensable II becomes
have this point cleared up, because II q
high contracting parties do not cor
prise every state that Is member
the league, then the burden assumed
the high contracting parties twhoev
they may be. possibly the big hve)
crushing In its weight.
"The popular thought Is that ieag,
of nations means a league OF all
nations of the world. Such, howeve
" ss not the league provided for In u
document now before us. for the natiol
are divided into three classes;
First, 'signatories' OF the covenah
sn.sa are not named, but II Is ASSUME