The sun., 1919-06-27
The Power That Construes Deter
mines the Power That Rules.

mines the Power That Rules.
In his address to the Pennsylvania
Bar Association former Senator BEv-
EnIpGE of Indiana brought into clear
light one of the several conclusive
reasons for not permitting President
WILSON and his abetting associates to
force upon this free and independent
republic a supersovereignty In the
name of q League of Peace:
"The League covenant must be
construed at Geneva, and not by the
separate members of the superstate.
The superstats will determine its own
powers and the obligations Of its
members. And to what will this
lead? In case the American nation,
as a member OF the League. shall as
sert that we retain the rights. pow
srs. sovereignty and independence we
now possess. and the superstate shall
deny our right. must We not yield?
II we refuse to yield. what would
that entail? Would 1t entail war;"
There are two aspects in which the
conditions determining the answer to
Mr.. BEvERIDGE's striking question may
be considered.
The first Is that which has been de-
fined by the non-American advocates
Of the covenant as it stands, by Lord
ROBERT CECIL and his colleagues, for
example. with regard to the interpre-
tation which is to be put on the Mon
roe Doctrine. When the fraudulent
md mendacious description of the
Monroe Doctrine was put into the
covenant, with the advice and con-
sent Of President WILSON, the British
delegation FASTENED to place them
selves on record as follows:
SHOULD any dispute over the mean
ing tof the Monroe Doctrinel ever
arise. the League Is there TO settle it,
That Is to say. Geneva and not
Washington is there to construe the
Monroe Doctrine for the United States
of America!
Now turn to the view Of the same
supremely important question which
Is advanced by some Of the American
supporters Of the covenant, notably
by ex-President TAFT, the president
of the League to Enforce Peace-the
italics are ours.
Mr.. TAFT attempts to meet the nat.
ural objections of the American PEG.
pie to having the Monroe Doctrine
construed at Geneva rather than al
Washington. and to appease our I'M
conquerable aversion to anything like
supersovereignty. by assuring his
fellow countrymen that no supersover
eighty or supergovernment is involved
He said to the Economic Club Of
this town:
When Senator KNox's attack upon
the covenant is analysed It will be
seen to rest on an assumption that
the Executive Council is given execu-
tive powers which are unwarranted
by the text of the covenant The
whole function OF the Executive
Council Is to be the medium through
which the League members are to
exchange vteWs, the adtrsory board
TO consider all matters arising In the
deld of the Leagues possible action
and TO ddpiSo the members as to
what they ought by Joint action TO
do. The Council makes few, II any,
orders binding on the members of
the League. When the Executive
Council acts as a medidttno and in
curing body TO settle differences not
Rrbitrated Its unanimous recommen-
dations Of a settlement must satisfy
the nation seeking relief II the de-
PENDANT nation complies with the rec
concentrations"
That Is to say, In Mr.. TAFT's ar
peasing prospectus Of activities a
Geneva the function of the Executiv
Council Is advisory, not mandatory
A single objection, that of Colon
HOUSE, for instance, or whoever shall
represent the United States Govern
ment, will be sufficient to overrul
the judgment and block the intention
of all the other member Government.
SO we have nothing to fear in the wa
OF construction or application Of tn
Monroe Doctrine from the Genev
point OF view forced upon Washln,
ton against Its own Judgment an
Its own yolltion?
1t will be obvious, We think, to III
most numbering intelligence that
Mr.. TATT's view Of the matter is co