Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-12
TAT 7 REPLIES To
CONVENTIONS Of
LEAGUE 8 CRITIC
Former President Declares
Criticism by Senator Knox,
Former Secretary of State,
Not Well Founded.

tsY i'aRriSc JepeSAL SPECIAL LEASED wREl
New York, March ll.-AnaIyzing
| Senator Knox's objections TO the pro-
posed covenant of the league Of ma
tons, former President William Fl.
Taft in an address here tonight before
the Economic club, declared that the
covenant does not transfer the sover-
eighty of this nation to the govern
ing BODY of the league" which Sena-
tor Knox asserts the executive coun-
ell to be-"
When Senator KnoX's attack upon
the validity Of the covenant is an
alyzed, 1t will seem to rest on an as
sumption that the executive council
IS gwen executive powers, which is uni
warranted by the text of the covo-
nant,' said Mr.. Taft. The whole
function of the executive council is
to be the medium through which the
league members are TO eXchangeI
views, the advisory board 10 considerI
all matters arising in the field of thei
leagues possible action and to advise
the members as to what they ought
by joint action to do
Few Orders Binding.
The council makes few if any or
ders binding on the members of the
| league. After a member Of the league
| has agreed not to exceed limit OF
armament, the executive council must
consent to raising the limit. Where
! the executive council acts as a me-
| dating and inquiring body TO settle
differences not arbitrated, its unani-!
| nous recommendation of settlementI
| must satisfy the nation seeking ieIef'l
| if the defendant nation complies with
the recommendation.
These are the only eases in which
| the United States as a member of the
| league could be bound by any action
! of the executive council. All the other
obligations of the United States under
| the league are to be found in the
| covenants of the league, and not in
any action of the executive council.
| When this is understood clearly the
whole structure of Senator KnoX's in
| dictment falls"
| Discusses Article XVI.
Mr. Taft asserted that article XVI,
the penalizing section, does not require
members OF the league to make war
against nation violating this section.
| Mr.. Taft added that IAN act of war
| does not produce a state of war UNI
| less the nation acted against chooses
to declare and wage war on account
| of it" The executive council, he said,
lis given the duty of recommending
| what forces shall be furnished by
members of the league to protect the
covenants of the league"
Quoting Senator Knox as stating
| that the executive council was vested
with power to declare war Mr.. Taft
continued:
II submit in all fairness that there
never was more palpable nonsequit-
ur than this, ! venture to think that
were Senator Knox charged as sec
rotary of state with constituting the
obligations Of the United States under
this covenant he would on behalf of
! the United States summarily reject
such a construction, unless the words
used make such delegation clear.
Tho Executive Council.
"Article VIII provides that the eX-
ecutive council shall determine for
the consideration and action of the
several governments, what military
equipment and armament is fair and
reasonable in proportion to the scale
of force laid down in the program of
! disarmament formulated by It, and
these limits, when adopted, shall not
be exceeded without the permission of
the executive council This leaves
wholly to the governments the accept
ance or rejection of the proposed linn
itation.
Senator Knox says that as thit
recommendation will be made with
the consent of our representative on
the council, we shall Be in honor
bound to accept the limit and bind
ourselves 1t is difficult to follow
this reasoning. The body which is
to accept the limitation IS the con-
gress of the United States. Why
should the congress of the United
States be bound by a representative
selected by the president to represent
the United States in this function, in
respect to a matter of great import
ance under the control of congress?
Reduction of Armament.
THAT the United States should rec
ognize the wisdom of a reduction of
Armament under a world plan for it
seems manifest The history of COM
petitive ornaments, with its dreadful
sequel are too fresh in the minds of
the peoples Of the world not to rec
i ognize the wisdom of an agreed re-
duction.
| by what manner of reasoning can
\ the word recommend be converted
into word of direction or command?
Yet upon this Interpretation of the
meaning of the words recommend,
advise and words of like import. as
they occur IN many articles, depends
his whole argument as to the powers
of the executive council under the