El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-03-20

which makes it's membership OF
great Importance. When it acts as
a medifatihg and compromising
body, its report must be unanE-
nous to have any effect.
THE suggestion that Great Brit
ain will have any greater power
In shaping the policy Of the league
in really critical matters, when
analysed. win, be seen to have no
foundation whatever.
A second surrender Of national Ii
dependence, Senator Fall claimed,
required In that the executive counc
of the leaguerWouid determine the e,
tent Of our armament, would decld
whether We had the right to make wa
on another nation. He even sug9este
the humlllatlpg possibility that Eng
land, dominating, presume, by ne
supposed majority In the executiv
council, might decide the matter 70
us.
Again MI. Taft opposes his iega
opinion"
1T seem to me clear that the
question both under Article XVIII
and under Article x as to whether
the United States shall declare
war, and what forces 1t shall fur
nfsh, are femitted to the volum-
tary action of the congress of the
United States under the ~constitu-
ton, having regard to a fair divi-
sion between all the nations OF
the burden to be borne under the
league and the proper means.
whether by the enjoined and in
evitable boycott alone, or by the
advance Of loans Of money, or by
the declaration of war and by the
use Of military force.
This is as it should be. 1t
fixes the obligation Of action in
such a way that American nations
will attend to America and Euro
pean nations will attend to Europe
and Asiatic nations to Asia, UNI
less all deem the situation so
threatening to the world and to
their own interests that they
should take a more active part.
1T seems to me that appro.
pirate words might be added to
the pact which should show dis
tinctly this distribution Of obliga-
ton, If it Will relieve those anxious
in respect to the Monroe doctrine,
to exclude from forcible interven-
ton any issues between American
nations by European or Asiatic
nations until requested by the
United States or an executive
council OF the American nations
framed for that purpose
AT another point in his discussion,
II. Taft says:
THE first important covenant
with reference to peace and war
in the constitution OF the league is
that looking to a reduction Of
armament by ,allN nations. The
executive council, consisting of a
representative from the United
States, the British Empire,
France, Italy and Japan, and with
a representative each from four
nations to be selected by the body
of delegates, is to consider how
much the ornaments of the ma
tiOns should be limited and re
duced, having regard to the safety
of each OF the nations and its OBJ
legations under the league.
Having reached d conclusion as
to the proportionate limits of each
nations armament, it submits its
conclusion to each nation which
may or may not agree to the
limit thus recommended; but
when an agreement is reached
between a nation and the execn-
tive council it covenants to keep
within that limit until, by applica-
ton to the executive council, the
limit may be raiser. In other
words, each nation agrees to its
own limitation, Having SO agreed
it must keep within.
THE Importance Of providing
for a reduction Of armament
every one recognizes. 1t is af-
firmed in the newly proposed sen
ate resolution. Can we not trust
our congress to fix a Limitation
safe for the country and stick to
it? II we can't no country can"
And again:
IAO bAAtu SOfOhAHill1 lily pCAaA' Il
izing covenant, is that II a nation
begins a war, in violation Of it's
covenant, then ipso facto that is
an act of war against every mem
Der of the league, and the mem
bers of the league are required
definitely and distinctly to levy
a boycott on the covenant break
ing nation, and to cut off from it
all commercial, trade, financial,
personal and official relations be-
tween them and their citizens and
its citizens. indeed, the boycott
is compound or secondary in that
it is directed against any non
members of the league continuing
to deal with the outlaw nation.
This is an obligation operative at
once on each member Of the
league.
IF the boycott does not prove
sufficient, then the executive coun7
Gil is to recommend the number
of military and naval forces to be
contributed by the members OF the
league to protect the covenants OF
the league. There is no specific
agreement by which they agree to
furnish any amount Of force, or
indeed any force at all, to the
league army. The use Of the word
recommend in describing the
function of the executive council
shows that the question whether
forces shall be contributed and
what shall be their amount must
ultimately address, itself to the