The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-09
CANADA PUTS PEACE
PACT TO ACID TEST
Dominion Parliament Analyses
and Criticises Various
Phases Of Treaty.
ARTICLE X. rs ASSAILED
Right Of Country to Act on
Covenant Is Upheld by
Premier Borden.
ARTICLE X. rs ASSAILED


Special Correspondence to the Canddton
Section of THE Sun.
OTTAWA, Sept. S.--Canada Is consid-
ering her first peace treaty in the way
that an intelligent democracy should.
Brought to Parliament for ratification
by the Prime Minister last week, both
the treaty with Germany and the
League of Nations covenant are being
subjected to keen analysis, criticism
and discussion. The House OF Com
mons, in particular, has evidenced Arm
determination to withhold sanction Of
the League of Nations until thoroughly
seized OF the obligations TO which 1t
commits the Dominion. the famous Ar
ticle X. being singled out for especial
examination and criticism
Unquestionably the treaties will be
ratified in the end, but the debate has
made It clear that there Is a not in
considerable group in Parliament that
is sincerely doubtful regarding the wis
dom of Article X. and that would go
to almost any length, short Of reject
| ing the league altogether, In withdra v
ing Canada from its obligations.
This group, largely composed OF
French-Canadians, but also including a
fair number Of English-speaking Lib
erals, maintains that 1t is both danger
Gus and foolish for Canada to bind her
self to help with blood and treasure
! in maintaining the status quo among
warlike peoples Of Europe and Asia for
| all time to come.
They argue that Article x. Is an
tagonistio to other articles in. as we'll
as to the whole spirit Of, the League
that by guaranteeing the integrity Of
| all existing territories 1t permits reac-
tionary nations to perpetrate any kind
| Of injustice within their own boun-
| daries, including the oppression OF MI
norities that it establishes an inter-
national formula behind which every
| enemy of progress and change can bar
ricade himself; that 1t robs the Cana
dian people and Parliament of the
right to decide for themselves when, or
upon what side, they shall fight; that,
in short, 1t oblik ties Caro- dians to de-
| fend other count les against external
aggression" no matter what the cause
of that external aggression" may be
Right of Treaty Making.
The answer to all Of this, of course. Is
the same as that which has been made
to similar criticism in Great Britain and
in the United States, namely, that Arti-
Gle X of the league Is its teeth; that
without it the league would resolve it.
self into a mere debating society Of ma.
tons, unable to make war and impotent
to maintain peace
Sir Robert Borden, there is strong
reason for believing, Is not a whole
hearted believer in Article x. Neither
for that matter, Is Minister Of Justice
'Doherty, who, next to the Prime Minis
ter, was the ablest Canadian at Paris
But both Ministers hold that, objections
able though this article may be, 1t is MOI
sufficiently so to warrant Parliament re-
jecting the entire league.
AS regards the peace treaty itself, 81
far as 1t can be ASSOCIATED from tn:
league covenant, there has been little op
position to its provisions The main OBJ
lection to ratification, in fact. is in tn,
form of a claim by the Opposition lead
ers that, constitutionally speaking, tn,
Dominion has no right to ratify tn,
treaty at all.
What will happen II we refuse t.
rathy this treaty?" asked the Hon. w
S. Fielding of the Prime Minister. while
jacques Bureau, a leading French-C Cana
dian member, put the thing more bluntly
when ne characterized the proceedings
as a farce" Their contention was
briefly summarized, that Canada wa,
not sovereign nation, that its Parlia
ment was not a sovereign Parliament
and that, therefore, neither ratification
nor decentralization made the slightes
difference TO the fate of the treaty.
This viewpoint, bitterly contested by
the Prime Minister, is not entirely In
applicable to students Of Canadian con
stitutional history. To appreciate 1t Il
is only necessary to recall that 1t is no
so very many years ago that Canada no
only did not have the right to treat In