New-York tribune., 1919-09-29
The johnson Amendment

covenant, dealing with dominion, col
ony and dependency representation in
the assembly, is Objectionable because
it approaches the problem in the wrong
way. The United States doesn't want
to have six votes in the assembly, or two
votes in the council, in case Canada or
Australia is made a member of the
the Philippines or Porto Rico initiated
into the league. If we asked for six seats
IN the assembly France would be entitled
10 demand six seats. So would Italy
and Japan.
The question of inequality of repre-
sentation is still obscured. The cove
nant of the league gives the five British
dominions, colonies and dependencies
seats in the assembly and apparently
unqualified membership in the league.
let the President and certain Senators
have expressed the opinion that in all
international relations the British EN-
pire, as represented in the league. can
have but a single vote. Most Americans
would regret to see Canada. Australia,
New Zealand and the Union of South
Africa excluded from real league mem
bership. They are needed in such
body. They are growing, progressive,
democratic states of our own type
The johnson amendment reads:
"Prouided, That when any member of
'he league has or possesses sef-govern-
ing dominons or colonies or parts of
empire, which are members of the
league. the United States shall have
votes in the assembly or council of the
league numerically equal to the aggre-
gate vote of such member of the league
and its self-governng domnions and
colonies and parts of empire in the coun-
Gil or assembly of the league"
The adoption of this amendment
would not meet the real objection to
inequality of presentation In mat
ters IN which the United States is not
dlsputant our vote would be a suffi
clent offset against Great Britain's vote
IL is only when the United States is in
VOWED IN controversy with Great Brit
am, with any of her dominions. colonies
and dependencies, or with a non British
power, that the inequality would be felt
Then we should have no vote at all
And there is no indication in the cove
haht that Great Britain could not cast
SIX votes IN controversy before the
assembly between the United States and
non British power, or that five of the
british votes could not be cast in a CON-
troVersy between the United States and
Great Britain, or between the United
states and one of the British domin-
IONS colonies and dependencies.
ms contingency is partly provided
against IN the second amendment to tho
covenant, which reads:
Whenever the case referred to the
Assembly involves a dispute between one
"emoer OF the league and another NOM
per whose self-governng domnions or
colohles or parts of empire are also ron
resented IN the assembly, neither tho
olSputant members nor any of thoir ca;d
commons, colonies or parts of er,n;r.
STA" nave vote upon any phase of the
question:
thus amendment would mt into sro
'''c language the Presidents under
standing that Great Britain and tho
"''V'sh minor states are a single dinlo-
mauc unit and must be treated as such
- i"l's' however, to cover the possible
case or controversy between a british
DOMINION. colony or dependency Iou 30
"hch are members of the league) and
another member.
VIZ McCumber has presented q rcser-
Natlon which meets the problem better
than either the johnson amendment or
Amendment Two. His proposal roads.
That the United States understands
and construes the words disputes be-
tween members and the words 'disnutes
between parties in Article XIV to mea,
that a dispute with a self governing do
mlnlon, colony or dependency represented
In the assembly is q dispute with the
dominant or principal member repre-
sented therein, and that dispute with
such dominant or principal member is a
dispute with all Of its self governing do
mlnlons. colonies or dependencies, and
that the exclusion of the parties to the
dispute provided in the last paragraph
of the said article will cover not onlv
the dominant or principal member but
ole JAr
dences"
This reservation is at once in line
with Mr. Wilson'S theory of cub stato