The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-21
BOURNE ATTACKS
TAFT REGARDING
POWER OF LEAGUE
Domestic Problems Subject
to Lively RetOrt by Pres.
of Republican Assoc.

WASHINGTON, July Zl-lhe
Republican Publicity Association,
through its President, Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., today gave out the fol
lowing statement from its Washing
ton Headquarters:
"Mr. Taft is continuing his series
of newspaper articles intended to as
sure the people that every American
right is reserved under the league Of
nations, and that its adoption by the
Senate involves no surrender what-
ever on the part Of the United States.
Dcvoting himself to Article Il CT
the covenant, which deals with the
Monroe Doctrine, Mr.. Taft demon-
strates, to his own satisfaction, at
least, that the Doctrine is amply pro-
tected and is merely extended to IN
clude the world. His argument starts
with a misstatement of fact, and on
that false premise he arrives at lbs
remarkable conclusions.
"Now Mr.. Taft has applied himself
to the tariff and immigration ques-
tons as affected by the covenant. OPP
ponents of the league have contended
from the first that those subjects
would come entirely within the jurij-
diction Of the league the moment the
covenant was endorsed by the United
States. The ex-Presidcnt, of course,
takes the contrary view, and supports
his contention with statements as
astonishing as those he adduced cor
corning the Monroe Doctrine .provl-
sion.
"The paragraph of the covenant on
which Mr.. Taft and his co-workcrs
base their argument is found in Ar
ticle Is, reading as follows: IF the
dispute between the parties is claim
ed by one of them, and is found by
the council | to arise out of matter
which by international law is solely
within the domestic jurisdiction OF
that party, the council shall so re-
port and Shall make no recommends
ton as to its settlement Mr. Taft
then goes on to declare that we must
trust the foreign council to decide
| that tariff and immigration matters
are regarded by international law as
domestic. He clinches his argument
! by quoting the decision of a learned
Federal judge who gives it as IAN
accepted maxim of international law
that every sovereign nation has the
power as inherent in sovereignty TO
limit or forbid the admission of for
cigners to its territory.
'Few statements Of the eX-Presi-
dent reveal the change that has come
/ over the man since he permitted him
self to become immersed in the league
fight as does this declaration. As a
matter of fact the decision that he
1 selected proves precisely the oppo-
site OF what he had in mind, Mr.
/ Taft seems to have overlooked the
fact that our sovereignty would be
a thing of the past the moment the
Senate saw fit to ratify the league
covenant. In that moment it would
pass to the superstate, and any dis
pute whatever involving two or more
nations, be it concerned with immi-
grafton, tariff, or anything else, would
Immediately come before the league
council for settlement. 1t is true that
the power to limit immigration, is in
herent in sovereignty, as Mr.. Taft
sets forth in his quoted decision, but
as it is now inherent in the sovereign
United States, after the ratification of
the covenant it would be inherent in
the sovereign leagues super-govern-
ment.
"But let us assume" continues Mr.,
Taft, "the impossible hypothesis that
the council would unanimously re-
commend that we take in Japanese
citizens without restrictions" He
then makes the startling statement
that we are not bound by he recon-
mendation, nor is the league bound to
enforce it upon US. Anyone who has
read Articles II, 10 and Is of the
covenant knows that Mr.. Taft's asser-
ton is absolutely without foundation.
Those articles provide for the arbi-
tration of the dispute, and the follow
ing language is found in Article IS:
"The members of the league agree
that they will carry out in full good
faith any award that may be render
ed" That means that we must ac-
cept the award of the court of arbi
tration or the council, or have it
forced upon us by the league men,
bers."
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