Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-18
NO SOVEREIGNTY
LOSS BY LEAGUE
Taft Scouts Idea of U. S.
Suffering Through Its
Membership
FANORS WILSON VIEW
Monroe Doctrine Would Be
Extended to Entire
World, He Says

Washington. Jan. 1s.--The suggestion
that by entering the League OF Nations
the United States would be sharing it's
sovereignty with other nations was
characterized by william Howard Taft
as a 'bugaboo which ought not to attract
the support of serious men" in an ad-
dress before the National Geographical
Society
What is sovereignty" he asked. at
is the right of the people associated in
government to do what they please as
u government. 1t Is the freedom OF
action of governments. II Is the liberty
of governments in n community of
nations. 1t is quite analogousSto the
liberty of tho individual. What is the
desirable liberty of tho Individual? We
describe it as liberty of the individual
regulated by law What does that mean?
II means complete freedom of action
OF the individual. limited by such legal
restrictions as will enable every other
man in the same community to enjoy
equal liberty. 1t is the impairment Of
the sovereignty of one individual for the
benefit of all the others so that all may
enjoy equal sovereignty. So 1t Is of
governments and nations and peoples
/ They are members of the family OF
nations. International law Is the rule
. ~ NlllNIl SpNtIPlGHlN lS lillltu so lllal
they may live together in peace in the
world,
we do not propose to limit the free
dom of action of n nation in the League
to Enforce Peace by anything more than
! tie rules of International law or of de-
cency and moral conduct and good form
just to Great and Small
THE sovereignty Of every nation viii
| he stabilized by enabling the great and
| small nations equally to enjoy the benc.
! fits OF International law without main
/ tanning armed forces to secure theii
/ rights and prevent murder and robbery
and drive off the footpads among ma
tons.
"It is TO protect the sovereignty of thu
! smaller nations and to relieve the grea
nations from the burden of their self
| protection that the league of nations |!
TO be formed"
To meet the criticism recently ad
! vanccd by Senator Knox that the United
| states might be drawn into the wal
against its will by n majority vote OF
a convention OF heterogeneous nations
Mr. Taft proposes that to an executive
council composed of nations willing Il
assume the responsibility of policing tn,
league necessarily the great Powers
| charter members Of the league), Should
| be intrusted the enforcement of tn,
DEGREES Of a council Of Cancellation. Il
1t is thought that a ma ajority of the eN
| ccutivo council should ont control tn,
right to call for military execution o.
any particular compromise action nigh
| be Nmited to eases in which there il
unanimous decision Of the eXccutiv,
council This could not he had excep
through the consent OF the various gov
crnmCnts represented
"Why should We favor internatona
justice and then refuse to furnish tn
machinery by which that justice can b
declared and enfOrccd?' asked Mr. Taft
Far from endangcring the Monro
Doctrine, Mr.. Taft declared that tn
League of Nations is a mere extension
of this doctrine to the entire world.
Instead of imperilling II, it woult
strengthen the Monroe Doctrine, be
cause in case of its violation the obi
gatiork of the league would require al
the great powers to unite in the main
tenance of it," he said
Mr.. Taft upheld the contention o
President Wilson that the establish
ment of league of nations not only Il
| vital to the future of the world, bu
also to the creation of the new repuD
lies promised in the Presidents four
| teen points.