Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-09-22
Gov { lANT IS
ABLY DISCUSSED |
Attorney O.. ]. Henderson
Gives Exposition of
League of Nations
C0nvenant.
ANALYZES DOCUMENT
Address was Delivered Last
Evening in the Congre-
gatiOnal Church.

o. J. Henderson gave very good
and very fair exposition of the
| League of Nations covenant at the
Congregational church last night. He
analyzed the document much as he
would his side of a case in lawsuit
and if all his positions are sound and
irrefutable there is absolutely nothing
left for the opponents of the league
covenant to build single objection
upon. The Freeman-Journal quite
agrees with Mr.. Henderson that the
league as Il whole is u good thing; that
| it will prove beneficial to the world
and will have large influence in main
tanning peace throughout the years to
| come.
However, with his statement that it
should be ratified without the crossing
of It" or the dotting of an IL ex-
ceptions may be taken. Several reser-
vaticns ought to accompany ratifica-
ton, in the Judgment OF the Freeman
Journal. The provision permitting a
member nation to withdraw after two
years notice ought to be clarified. Such
withdrawal is possible only when the
member desiring to withdraw "has full
filled all its international obligations
and all its obligations under the cove
nant' There is no objection to that.
but there is objection to permitting the
league itself to say when such Obli-
cations have been complied with. The
member wishing to withdraw should be
the judge in this matter, because if Il
nation wants to get out of the league
honorably there should be nothing to
stop it.
Refutes Criticism.
Mr.. Henderson successfully refuted
the criticism lodged against the cove
nant because of the alleged six votes
given Great Britain. The fact that
Britain's self-gOverning states are per-
mitted to sit in the assembly and have
one. vote each i'm that body doesn't give
Britain any unfair advantage in gov
erning power. because the assembly
cannot control without the sanction of
the council ard in important matters.
Except as otherwise specifically pro-
vided. the vote of the council must be
unanimous. Canada has one vote III
the assembly the same as Panama and
Cuba. and the same as all other men,
ber nations or sclf-governing states.
He thought it would be unwise for this
country to oppose giving Canada
place in the assembly along side OF the
other countries of the western hemi-
sphere.
But the big things of the League of
Nations covenant are what it proposes
for arbitration. for disarmament, for
the settlement of diputes and to main
tain inviolate the territorial integrity
of member nations from outside aggres-
sion. 1t always means war when one
nation undertakes to seize the territory
of another nation. Everybody admits
that something should be done. if pos
sible, to prevent the greedy and strong
nations from swallowing up territory
of the weaker ones. The league cove
nant undertakes to do this and to just
the extent the undertaking is successful
war will be prevented.
For years disarmament has been
urged. A few years ago the Hague dis
cussed this question and all the nations
except Germany, agreed to
the proposition Nothing came of the
because of the opposition of
the German empire. The league pre-
sents an etfectual method to bring about
this most desirable consuma ton, If
carried out in good faith, and there is
no reason to believe that it will not be.
Article provides the procedure t0l
bring about reasonable disarmament
THE council. taking account of the
situation and circum
stances of each state, shall formulate
plans for such reduction for the con-
sideratiOn and action of the several
governments. After these plans shall