Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-01
SEN. KNOX ALSO
KNOCKS WORLD
LEAGUE CREED
Pennsylvania S O ! o n
Joins Pact's Foes IN
Bitter Talk.

washington, March 1.-Senator
Knox of Pennsylvania, former sec
retary Of state. speaking today in
the senate, assailed the league Of
nations as striking down American
constitutional principles and pro-
posed a new world organization,
which he said. would preserve the
Monroe doctrine and save America
from the results of European in
trigue and aggression"
Senator Knox, who attended the
White house dinner conference last
Wednesday with other members Of
the senate foreign relations com
mittee, said the constitution of the
! league as presented to the peace
conference sanctions, breeds and
, commands war" and after criticiz-
( Ing various clauses of the docu-
mcnt, asked:
Why this feyerish anxiety for the
adoption of this plan? Why this
racing up and down the land by
propagandists urging its adoption?
/ What benefit is to come from such
sale OF the country as IS urged upon
US? Who are -ie beneficiaries OF
this betrayal OF our people?"
The Pennsylvania senator said
that II the people OF the United
States desired what he termed a
real league of nations to prevent
war and not merely build a coali-
ton to further trade or preserve
and expand territorial possessions"
1t might be secured through the for
nation of an International organi-
cation comprising all of the nations
of the world.
Suggests Plan for League.
Senator Knox said the constitu-
ton of such an international coali-
ton should primarily declare war
an international crime and stipu-
late that any ration engaging in il
except in self-defense be punished
by the world as an international
criminal. He also suggested that
the constitution provide that inter
national disputes be decided by an
International court according to an
International code defining war;
that no nation could summon ap-
other before the court unless the
subject under discussion of com
mon concern to the contending ma
tions and that jurisdiction OF the
court not extend to matters OF gov
ernmental policy.
Under such a code. Senator Knox.
declared. America would not. as in
event the present plan for a league
of nations were realized. be called
upon to Grbitrate "the policy in
r.
conservation policy: our immigra-
ton policy: our right to expeH
aliens; our right to repelI invasion
and to maintain military and naval
establishments. our right to make
necessary Notifications of the Pan
anna canal or on our frontiers. and
our right to discriminate between
natives and foreigners in respect to
rights of property and citizenship"
Would Split World.
Among other suggestions for the
constitution. Senator Knox said 1t
would provide that the countries of
the two hemispheres be called upon
to enforce DEGREES of the interna-
tional court only in their TespeC-
tive hemispheres.
"A league framed on these broad
lines" he continued, would carry
with 1t a minimum loss of our SOW
ereigntv. would relieve US from
participation in the broils of Eu-
rope; would preserve the Monroe
doctrine and would save America
from the results of European in
trigue and aggression.
In opening his address. Senator
Knox said he wished ii understood
he had not secured negative con-
clusions I'm regard 70 the Constitu-
ton of the proposed league through
unfriendliness or bias. He said he
was against war even to the extent
OF securing the United States the
utmost benefits possible but that he
wanted 10 feel sure that when the
offering of the United States had
been placed on the altar and burned
this country should have measur-
ably and proportionately advanced
the cause of human liberty and hap
piness-