The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-15
Tells Senate That if America Rejects League It Would Mean She Would Skulk in Greatest World Crisis That Ever Occurred
By Associated Prsss

Washington, July 14-Pral3 ing the league of nations cove nant as Zone of the worlds greatest documents" Senator Swanson of Virginia, a demo cratic member of the foreign relations committee, told the Senate today that if the United States rejected the league, "'it would mean that she woull skulk in the greatest world crisis that ever occurred"
 The speaker defended the league against the objection that it would sac rifice sovereignty and American tradi- tions and asserted that on the contrary it would result in immense material gain in protecting American integrity and pre- venting war. He declared it would not create a super government; involve ob- jectionable obligations, nor invalidate the Monroe doctrine.
 ''The pathway of our duty is plain," said Senator Swanson. Let us not be frightened by our own prodigious shad- ow as it projects itself into world af- fairs. Let us not be deterred from our manifest duty and destiny by a craven fear of becoming great in giving service and direction to a world in a direSt hour of it's needs and distress
 Pointing out that the war had shaken the social order to it's foundation, the Virginia senator said it was the para mount obligation of responsible states men to prevent another such conflagra- ton which would return the world ito the rule of brute force and barbarism of the dark ages"
 '-The covenant of the league has been assaled from two opposite sources," he continued. "The league will neither be a. super-state, nor sovereign, nor a help less, powerleSs association of nations. The instrument creating the league is "a covenant entered into by sovereign states One of the attributes of sovereignty is the ability to make covenants, or agree nents. That a state reserves it's full sov- ereignty is conclusively settled by the provision allowing any member to with draw. No nation, super or otherwise ever thus expressly provided means for it's dissolution.
 A LOCALIZED TREATY
 '-This covenant if ratified by the Sem ate would be no more or less than a treaty legahzed under our constitution. The plan formation of the league is skill fully conceived and the only one pos sible under existing political conditions
 '-The assembly of the league will be composed of the representatives of the members, who will be selected in ac- cordance with the laws of the respective states. In the United States the repre- sentatives being officers created by l>1 faJ fn- oxyiH ed in an act of Congress. Much opposi- tion has been urged because a great na- tion like the United States has only one vote in the assembly. But what differ ence does the number oe votes make when upon all important matters the ac- ton of the assembly must be unanimous, or have the unanimous cocnurrence of the council, upon which the United States is permanently represented?
 'The league never could be organized, V any basis other than of equal repre- senration. If members were accorded diff ference in representation, upon what basis should the apportonment be made? If upon population, China, and India, would dominate the league and the United States would have only one-fif- teenth of the number. If based upon wealth and military power, the situation would be equally as uncertain and un- satisfactory.
 What better plan for disarmament could be devised? The council is direct ed to prepare a general plan of disarma- ment for the consideration of the govern ments, which plan is not binding upon any of the states until approved by that state. Under our government, the pro- posed plan to be effective in binding us must have the sanction of Congress, which is entrusted under the constitution with the power of raising armies and equipping the navy.
 Under article '10, each member of the league undertakes first to respect the territorial integrity and political inde- pendence of all other members of the league. When the nations of the world sobered by sorrow and suffering are willing to raise their hands and take this solemn pledge, we are sullenly and stubborn to stand aside and became a stumbling block in the way of this noble achievement? Do any of them have pos sessions that we view with covetous eyes and propose to seize and annex? THE SECOND OBLIG ATION "The second obligation assumed by each member IS to preserve as against external aggression the territorial in