The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-26
AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY
is BEING JEOPARDIZED
Declared Senator Cumnins of Iowa in
Addressing Senate on the Provis-
ions of the League of
Nations.

Washington, D. G., Feb. 28.-While de.
claring his full sympathy with the pur-
pose to form an international peace tri-
bunal, Senator Cummings of Iowa, Re-
publican, declared in an address to-day
in the Senate that he was opposed to the
proposed constitution Of the league of
nations because he believed some of its
provisions would strike at American SOW.
ereignty.
Presenting the outline of arguments he
would favor, Senator Cummins said the
league draft as presented at Paris would
form a world nation with "polyglot and
incoherent power" which would submerge
the American republic He urged speedy
conclusion of a peace treaty with Ger
many and immediate Inauguration of re-
construction work to avert unrest.
| The Iowa senator expressed approval
of many of the provisions of the tenta-
tive charter of the world league. Those
| he attacked deal with submission Of ma
tional questions, disarmament and pro
vision for manufactures and for reciprocal
territorial guarantees.
There is some good in it proposed
constitutional" said Senator Cummins.
There is more that is bad in it. As now
proposed / would unhesitatingy vote
against it,"
In presenting deSnite proposals for
| league which he declared could be formed
without any surrender of American SOW
| ereignty, Senator Cummins said:
First, we ought to agree, and all other
nations ought to agree, that justiciable
| disputes-those issues which can be de-
termined by the application of recog-
nized law to established facts--should be
settled either by arbitration or adjudica-
ton, and we ought to agree, and all other
nations ought to agree, without equvoca-
| ton that we will abide by and perform
the award or judgment.
Second, we ought TO agree, and all
| other nations ought to agree, that with
respect to other international disputes
war shall not be made until some perma-
nent, regular, international body shall
have a fair opportunity to discuss and
examine it, Upon such questions there
should be no award, no Judgment, and
the sanction should be confined to moral
HiuutnCtS Which, IlHlts JAiOuEHb anu Tree
discussion will awaken.
Third, if any nation should refuse to
submit proper controversy to judg-
ment, or refuse to perform the Judgment
when rendered, or refuse to delay war, |
am willing to agree that ostracism shall
be the penalty inflicted.
Fourth, the compact should contain
program of disarmament; and after all,
in disarmament lies the hope of perma-
nent peace The constitution proposed is
most disappointing in this regard, for a
careful study gives us little right to be-
lieve that there will be disarmament
among the strong powers"
The Iowa senator said the proposed
constitution would "neutralize all the
benefits of a peaceful settlement of dis
putes between nations atfirmatively, de-
stroy the national structure, and commit
the United States to a course which must
end in humiliation and disaster"
Some of the provisions, he asserted,
were in direct conflict with the United
States constitution and under the char
ter this nation would cease to be dis
tinct."
Analysing the principal provisions of
the leagues constitution, Senator Cum
Minis said article ten, providing guaran-
tees against aggression and for terrific
rial independence of states, is "the most
destructive, unjust and reactionary pro-
posal ever submitted"
1T will be rejected with a storm of
obloquy,' he declared. we are solemn.
ly asked to guarantee that the boundar,
les of nations as they now exist, or when
the peace conference has redrawn the
map of Europe, Asia, Africa and Ocean
lea, shall remain without change for.
ever"
The leagues provision for manufactures
was attacked by Mr.. Cummins as "the
grossest violation of our powers under
the constitution"
1T is all too absurd TO contemplate"
he said. when the American people
reflect upon such proposal they will re-
ject it with all the emphasis Of unan-
unity"
Article Is of the charter, Senator Cum,
Minis said, would require submission of
domestic questions to the league, which,
he added, is incredible. He cited, as an
example, the American policy of Chinese
and Japanese exclusion as a question
which would be left to the league cOun-
ell.
Referring to recent statements on the
league by former President Taft, the
senator said Mr. Taft had been "conspic-
uously unfair and uncandid." Quoting
President Wilson's plea in his Boston
address for justice to peoples who 90 to
bed tired and wake up without the slim
ulation of lively hope" Senator Cummins
said, in conclusion;
"They understand their wrongs and
they are going to correct them. They
need no such league of nations to assert
their rights. We ought now to be bend.
ing all our energies upon the vital sub.
ject of reconstruction, and this should be
our immediate contribution to the well
fare Of humanity"