The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-28
LODGE
GIVES WARNING
League of Nations Would
Engender Misunderstand-
ing and Strife
FUNDAMENTAL
REVISION NEEDED
Is in Sympathy With the Desire for
World Peace-Treaty With Germany
Should First Be Completed-w Would
Exclude Monroe Doctrine.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator
Lodge of Massachusetts solemnlyl
warned the American people today to
weigh carefully the constitution Of the
league of nations as presented TO the
peace confidence at Paris and to insist
upon its fundamental revision.
Speaking in the senate he declared
his convictions that instead of safe
guarding the peace of the world the
league as now planned would cngender
misunderstanding and strife. lie de
elared that as now drafted the eonsti-
tuition would eontravene the Monroe
doctrine. strike Mt American sovereign
tv, involve America in all foreign dis
putes, substitute internationalism for
nationalism and be of benefit principals
ly to Europe.
Expressing complete sympathy with
the popular demands and efforts tow
ard an agreement for world peace he
said he was not prepared to say that
! exised. He urged that the nation
to safeguard against war but he in
sisted that the agreement for such a
concert should be drawn up calmly and
| deliberately when the world was at
peace and not hastily when war still
existed He urged that the nations
think well before departing from the
policy of Washington and said the para
mount duty now was 20 conclude reaee
| with Germany.
| Much time has been wasted he
4 IL 4
ness and confusion everywhere. Ger
many is lifting her head again. The
whimpering after defeat is changing te
threat, the only thought OF a great wal
Is to be found for the future as in tht
Ipast in Germany. She should be chained
aud fettered now and this menace tc
world peace removed =
Amendments proposed by Senator
Lodge included a specific provision ex
Guiding the Monroe doctrine from pur
view. immigration and other interna
and domestic questions and those vita
to national existence also should b,
excluded from the leagues jurisdiction
he said
Senator Lodge questioned whether tn
proposed draft really makes for har
mony among nations or will tend Il
produce dissension and controversy. ,
I'VE all desire peace, he said, "bu
in ideals for peace we must be careful
not to create new obligations and nev
and untried conditions which may lea
/ to fostering war rather than peace. >
After Senator Lodge finished Chairma
g Hitchcock of the foreign relations com
mttee took the floor and denounced a
! preposterous the Massachusetts senator
| suggestion that the league would depriv
the United States of its right OF self dc
Pfense. Il desire, said Mr.. Hitchcock. 4
repudiatc the suggestion that the leagu
would in the slightest degree limit th
privilege and the duty of any nation. III
United States or any other. to defend il
self when attacked and to protect its ten
ritory and rights when invaded either b
: a member of the league or not"
Senator Lodge replied that he took II
/ view that the committee chairman W.
Il entitled to an honest difference of opil
a ion. The conflict. he declared, illustrate
: end emphasized the necessity for redraf
$ ing the league charter to make dispute
Is its construction impossible Lets ha,
it stated in the contract Just what
means" he said
t, when war starts" replied Senat
Hitchcock, "the right of self -defen
: supercedes everything else and the sen
tor knows it,