Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-04-03
UNABLE
CHANGE L.EAGUE
SAYS HIlCH('K
Covenant Must Be Ratified a. Pre-
sen1ed % Congressional Body,
Predicts f our Amendments VIII " II
Be Made 10 Pact Before Pre-
sented to Americans.

Washington April 3..--Whan the
League Of Nations covenant ii laid be-
fore the senate for i I ification ii viii
be too late to; propose amendments,
Senator 6. NJ. Hitchdocik, Nebraska,
President Wilson'S spokesman In con
gress In International affairs, tieclar.
ed III speech before the washington
Commercia. club.
The senator's statement was inter.
preted as a notice that the senate
must accept the treaty exactly as ii
is drafted By the Paris conference o.
reject It.
Predicts Amendments
AT the same time, Senator Hitch.
cock predicted that the peace confer
ence would amend the covs..:s.::;:.. - In
these particulars:
Insertion OF provision giving
each nation the right to s,ithdraw
on reasonable notice.
Reservation Of the sovereignty OF
each Individual nation over purely
domestic affairs, including imnigra,
ton. IA 'ss
Modification to make II clear that
the leagues disarmament recon-,
mendations are not effective until
each rneraher. through It's constituted
laulhori ities, has adopted III,
Adopt ion of Language to make il
clear that the decisions Be the lea que
are not binding except by unanimous
vote.
Silent on Monroe Doctrine
The senator had no prediction ii
make with regard to the Monroe doc.
trine. He said: #5
When the peace settlement comes
over here for ratification, it will
proably be too late FIR any amend
ments to go back for acceptance by
the other Is nations. Tsat would de.
llay the peace settlement for a long
time. Delays ars dangerous in the
highest degree because the very eivil.
ization In Europe is at stake.
Government authority over an
enormous area represented by Ger.
many, Austria. Hungary, Poland and
Bohemia. as well DIS Russia, lies ii,
ruins. lawlessness and despair may
involve still more Of Europe
Encouraged by Progress"
Senator Hitchcock said he felt
very much encouraged by the pro.
gress Of the discussion ON the league.
The opposition he said, "has de.
generated into mere series Of criti.
cisns,, some criticising one feature
and some another. and few agreeing
on any b particular attack. Mean
while pubic opinion is arraying itself
more and more in favor Of the great
enterprise which is TO free the world
from war.
BY the time the League Of Nations
comes back to the senate for ratifica-
tion, have every reason to believe
the state Of public opinion wiliSbe such
as eto force q reasonably prompt
ratification. 1
Wisconsin, Iowa Want Amendments
The people OF Iowa want a League
of Nations to prevent war, but are
empha atically opposed to the covenant
In Its present form. according to Sen
ator W. s. Kenyon, who has returned
to Washington from several weeks
visit among his constituents.
Senator I. 4. Lenroot Of Wisconsin
brought the same report back from
his state. He said he found the sen.
tinent il Wisconsin strongly in favor
Iof q war preventive. but three to one
against the league in It's present form.
The Iowa voters have some very
definite ideas about what they want
Senator Kenyoa explained. sThey
are ernphatically in favor Of the speci
fic reservation 6f the Monroe doc.
ftrine. he haid They do not want
TO be obliged to send their boys tntc
1.-The most remote corners Of thu earth
under the mandatory article. 4