The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-11-16
DEFINITE ACTION

the propuety of the senate 's acton Thurs day in adopting the committee rescrya- tion to Article 10, of the covenant of the league of nations both supporters and op- position alike admit that 1t definitely align ed itself against the very principles under lying the league and by such action reject ed the leadership of President Wilson. The President in speeches made on his tour re- gently declared that the adoption of the reservation as drawn up by the senate for cign relations committee would cut the heart out of the entire peace treaty and mean the rejection of that document.
 In minority report submitted to the senate by Senator McCumber, a republican member of the foreign relations committee, the Iity-rccommcndation of the reser- vation was severely condemned. As Mr. McCumbcr voted for the adoption of the objectionable clause when 1t came to vote, his views on the question are highly inter- csting He said: "Thc second reservation recommended by a majority of the commit tee is objectionable for several reasons. First, it is an amendment pure and simple, and an amendment of the most important article in the league of nations. Its pu1- pose is to take the United States as a power for peace of the world out of the league entirely Our disnterestedncSs, our free dom from the ordinary iealousies that af- feet the European mind our power, and our resources place us in the front rank of in fluence in this council of nations. We are 4lo ,,-Ii i.b ct rest the superst1ucture of a successful league of nations. So situated we ought not only to be willing but eager to help a distracted world which so needs the moral assistance of our membership and the po- tential assistance of our known power. Sec ond, it places this country in a false and wrong position, an attitude of encouraging powerful countries to inf.lict or impose any wrong upon weaker nations, by our de clared policy of nOn-interference. The bet ter policy and the right policy is to let the world understand that in all probability the United States will not stand idly by and allow a great wrong to be perpetuated by one country against another. Third, the policy of non-interVentiOn is asserted in a dictatoriaI and offensive way. It is not couched in the language which should gov ern friendly nations in answering proposals one to anOther
 "Under my construction, and 1 think under the construction of the greater num- Der of those who have studied this league of nations provision, the question of inter- ference and extent of interference, if any, must finally be decided by the congress when the occasion arises, and no obligation shall rest upon the United States to inter fere in any way unless it's congress should so decide at the time This committee reser- vation should be modified so as to place the country in proper attitude toward the world, to let the world know that the United States is against international crime, and that she can be counted upon to throw the weight of her great moral in fuence in favor of right and justice, leav- ing to the congress to determine whether and to what extent it shall intervene when the occasion arises"
 If one of the senators who voted for it's adoption saw these objections to it, it's defects must have appeared much stronger to the opponents of the reservation. No attempt has been made to deny that 1t would and does withdraw the moral sup port of the United States from the league of nations.
 At best the league was but weak in strument compared to the needs of the