The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-08-15

has been the subject Of reservation at
international conventions by Ameri-
can delegates. 1t has never been q
regional understanding or an un-
derstanding of any kind with any
body. It was the declaration OF the
United States of America, in their own
behalf, supported by their own pow
er. They brought it into being and
it's life was predicted on the force
which the United States could place
behind it. Unless the United States
could sustain it, it would die. The
United States has supported it. 1t
has lived-strong, efficient, respected.
It is now proposed to kill it by pro-
vision in a treaty for League OF Ma
tons.
%Why, in the name of peace. should
we extinguish it? Why, In the name
of peace, should we be called upon
to leave the Interpretation OF the
Monroe Doctrine to other nations? II
is an American policy. 1t is our own.
1t has guarded us well, and l for one
can never find consent in my heart
to destroy it by clause in treaty
and hand over its body for dissection
to the nations of Europe.
Another point in this covenant
where charge must be made in order
to protect the safety Of the United
States in the future is in Article 1,
where withdrawal is provided for. AS
it now stands it reads that
"Any member of the league may,
Of tc infonfinn
to do so. withdraw from the league
povided that all its international OBJ
legations and all its obligations under
this covenant shall have been fulniied
at the time of its withdrawal.
Whatever virtue there may be IN
the right thus conferred is completely
nullified by the proviso. The league
alone can decide whether all inter.
national obligations and all obl1ga-
lions under this covenant" have been
fulfilled, and this would require the
provisions of the league unanimous
vote, so that any nation desiring to
withdraw could not do so, even on
the two years. notice, if one nation
voted that the obligations had not
been fulfilled. Remember that this
gives the league not only power to
review all our obligations under the
covenant but all our treaties with all
nations for every one OF those is an
international obligation
Would Put Selves On Fetters.
care we deliberately to put our
selves in letters and be examined by
the League of Nations as to whether
we have kept faith with Cuba or Pan
anna Before we can be permitted to
leave the league? The right of with
drawal, if it is to be of any value
whatever, must be absolute, be-
cause otherwise a nation desiring to
withdraw could be held in the league
by objections from other nations
until the very act which induces the
nation to withdraw has been complet>
ed; until the withdrawing nation had
been forced to send troops to take
part in a war with which it had no
concern and upon which it did not
desire to enter.
"Any analysis of the provisions OF
this league covenant brings out in
startling relief one great fact. What
ever may Be said, Il issnoS 4 seasa
of peace; it is an alliance, dominat-
ed at the present moment by five
great powers, really>by three. and 1t
has all the marks of an alliance The
development of international law is
neglected. The court which is to de-
eide disputes brought before it fills
but a small place. Those articles up
on which the whole structure rests
are articles which provide for the
Use of force; that is, for war. This
'easue to enforce peace does great
deal for enforcement and very little
peace"