The Alaska daily empire., 1919-09-29

roe Doctrine. What Is the Monroe Doctrine? The Monroe Doctrine is that no nation shall come to the Western Hemisphere and try to es- tablish its power or interfere with the self government of people in this hemisphere, that no power shall eX- tend it's governing and controlling in. fluence in any form to either of the Americas Very well, that is the doc Urine of the covenant: No nation shall anywhere extend it's power or seek to interfere with the political independence of the peoples of the world And inasmuch as the Monroe Doctrine had been made the univer- sal doctrine, I did not think that it was necessary to mention it par ticularly, but when I suggested that it was the desire of the United States that it should be explicitly recognized, it was explicitly recog- nized, for it is written in that noth- ing in the covenant shall be inter preted as effecting the validity of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doc Urine is left intact, the United States is left free to enforce it.
 Without exception the sugges. tions of the United States were adopted I want to say, because it may interest you, that most of these suggestions come from Republican sources. 1 say that, my fellow citi- ,ens, not because it seems to me to make the least difference among Americans in a great matter like this, which party such things came from, but because I want to emphasize in every discussion of this matter the absolutely non-partisan character of the covenant and the treaty. l am not in favor of the ratification of this treaty, including the covenant of the League of Nations because I am q Democrat; I am in favor of it be cause am an American and q lover of humanity. And, if it will relieve anybodys mind, let me adj that it is not my work; that prac' +ically every portion of the covenant If the League of Nations emanated from councils running back, ten, twenty. thirty years, among the most thoughtful men in America, and that 1t is tha fulfillment of a dream which five years ago, when the war began, would have been deemed unattain- able
 
 q draw all this picture of the care with which the covenant was drawn every phrase scrutinized, every inter est considered, the other nations at the board just as jealous of their sovereignty as we could possibly be of ours, yet willing to harness all these sovereignties in a single, great enterprise of peace, and how the whole thing was not the original idea of any man in the conference, but had grown out of the councils O. hopeful and thoughtful and righteous men all over the world.
 Germany, at our request-I may almost say at our dictation-signed he treaty and has ratified it. It is a contrast, so far as her part in 1t i5 concerned I can testify that w"
 ried to be just to Germany. When we had heard her arguments and examined every portions of the coun 'er proposals she made, we wrote he treaty in it's final form and then
 aid Sign here
 q have said, in all frankness, that I do not see a single phrase in the covenant of the League of Nation 5 which is of doubtful meaning, but if
 hey want to say what that undoubt- d meaning is in other words that ion't change the undoubted meaning have no objection. If they change
 he meaning of it, then all the other
 ignatories have to consent. And what has been evident in the last week or two. is that on the part Of some men-I believe a very few
 he desire is to change the treaty, especially the covenant in a way to tive America an exceptional footing
 Now, my fellow countrymen, the principle that America went into this war was the principle of the equality ,f sovereign nations. l am just as much opposed to class Legislation in international matters as in domestic matters. do not. tell you plainly believe that any one nation should be allowed to sdominateTeven this beloved nation of our own and il does not desire to dominate"
 SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 The President declared that while he United States formerly was looked upon as selfish nation, thai opinion has been absolutely re versed." It now was Americas priv ;lege he said, to lead the world "un less cynical counsels of some of our acquaintances prevail"
 Whether you will nor not. our fortunes are tied in with the rest of the world and the choice that wt have to make now is whether wt will receive the influences of the res' of the world and be affected by them or dominate the influences of the world and lead"
 seUs na-,,.pu had ovar dra1.,ad