The Washington times., 1919-02-16


President Wilson's. request that Con
gressional debate on. the league OF
nations be withheld until he has
! talked it over with the Foreign At
fairs Committees was evidenced yes
terday by House and Senate leaders.
They may not be able to fOrestall
discussion entirely, but any effort to
bring on general debate will be met
by Administration leaders with the
statement that the President has
stitution article by article with the
full membership of both House and
Senate Foreign Affairs Committees,
and that until he has had that op-
portunity critical debate would mani
festly be unfair.
The Senate's. silence yesterday on
the league was based largely upon
one point made by the President in
his cableEram to the two commits :
tees. This Is the fact that fourteen
nations. representing the bulk of the
civilized people of the world. had
agreed in formulating the leagues
charter. The unwisdom of prema-
tureIy setting up Senatorial opinions
against the clearly expressed joint
will of all these people was appar-
ent, Senator'S said. Another reason
was a desire to give the American
people a chance. over Sunday, to re-
act on the proposal and express
their opinions.
Menaees Monroe Doctrine.
The Republican view is that the
league absolutely abrogates and de-
stroys the Monroe doctrine; the
Democratic view is that it does not
even endanger it.
The Republican view was stated by
a Republican leader who declined to
allow his name to be used, but who
speaks with the highest authority
when party matters are concerned.
The practically unanimous view
is" said this Senator, that the
American people have got to begin
considering the possibility of league
mandate sending Japan into Mexico
as overseer and guardian. or Great
Britain into Venezuela The Monroe
doctrine will not. exist under the
league plan, the American people must
realize. They must begin thinking
about this, in order TO make up their
minds whether they are willing it
SHOULD be so"
Senator Hitchcock, for the Demo-
Gratis, had no hesitation in being
quoted to this effect:
Doctrine Not In Danger.
"Destruction of the Monroe doc
trine does not necessarily follow the
operation of the league. I do not
believe any nation except Germany
takes exception to the Monroe doc
trine and Germany is not now to be
i member of the league.
The United States. through Presi-
dent Wilson, has emphatically de-
clared against assuming responsible
ties across the seas. hence ii natural
Iy would fall to our lot to look after
affairs in this hemisphere, just as
Europe will look after other states
senator BOrnh's View.
The following comment was OBJ
tainable:
Senator Borah, Idaho, Republican
The instrument as whole requires
much study in order to know what IN
detail shall be its obligations in case
it is finally adopted. But one thing is
perfectly clear, and that is. as it
stands it is a TenunCiatiOn of the Mon
"If Japan threatens to take South
ern California, we would not settle the
matter. but would refer it To the
tribunal and disPosing agencies Of the
league. In other words, in all prOba-
bility, the entire matter would be d.
cidcd, If we are to assume that ma
jority vote is to prevail, by the Euro
pcan powers There are two Othe-
provisions in the league constitution
which might be cited as bearing di-
rectly upon the matter, but l aD-
prohend that no one will contend that
under the sweeping territorial juris-
diction given to the league the
Monroe doctrine will not disappear"
Senator Robinson OF Arkansas,
Democrat-"Thep proposed league is in
the nature of an experiment. 1t is
natural that existing nations should
approach the subject with caution.
Nevertheless its purposes are so far
reaching in Importance that surely no
one in sympathy with them will re
sist the momentum of the influences
now seeking TO establish league Of
nations. The constitution for the
league OF nations as submitted is a