The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-15
UNDERWOOD SAYS
LEAGUE IS REAL
STEP FOR PEACE
Alabama Senator Defends
World Union in Senate and
Asks Ratification Without
Any Change. y

WASHINGTON. July 15.-Character-
izing the league of nations as a prac-
tical step toward world peace involving
no sacrifice of national sovereignty,
Senator Underwood Democrat, of Ala
bama, urged in the senate today ac-
ceptance of the league covenant with
out amendment or reservation.
The great causes or war;" he said,
may be paraphrased in two words,
national selfishness.' Until the civili-
zation of the world is prepared to. de-
throne its own selfish ideals ana to
recognize the rights or other peoples,
the inherent causes or war must con-
tinue to exist.
II am not prepared 10 say that the
adoption of the presenr treaty carries
within itself the elimination of these
causes of war, or that IN the end there
Will be no more wars, but | do say
that. within the folds or this treaty.
We find an agreement between the
great nations of the world that prob
ably will in the future carry the ques-
tions of national dispute to court OF
final arbitration, and IN many, If not
most instances, avoid the horrors and
injustices of war
II do not regard the organization of
the league as a supergovernment. No
supergovernment could exist without
power to maintain itself Within itself,
the league has no power to levy taxes,
and without revenue government can
not long exist. The league has no
power to raise armies and navies, and
without military forces it can not de-
fend itself, With the right to with
draw | feel that there is no need to
fear the dangerous surrender of any
OF the fundamental principles and rights
Of the American people. Therefore. |
am willing to take 1t and try 1t and
, hope that from the seed that is planted
today, in its fruition the final peace
of the world may be found.
Il am n ore Interested In the princi-
pies enunciated in the clauses relating
to the league of nations than l am in
the power given for its government, for
on those principles the future life of
the league must depend. | would have
been glad to subscribe to contract
that would have arbitrarily limited the
armaments of the world. Such de-
cree Is not found within the contract,
but there is a covenant that seeks to
keep the peace of the world, that au-
thorizes the executive council of the
league to consider how much the pres
ent armaments of nations should be
reduced.
Arbitration Vital.
another vital principle that we are
asked to agree to is that all of the
members of the league shall submit
capable of being settled by negotiation
before tribunal to be composed of
judges or arbitrators agreed to oy
them, and after entering into the ar
bitration, they are required to abide
by the award.
"But the greatest principle of the
league tending to Keep the peace of
the world is that which declares that
the high contracting parties to this
treaty shall undertake to respect and
preserve against external aggression the
political independence and the terri
torial integrity of every member of the
league Most Of the wars that have
been waged In the ages that have
passed have had as their governing
cause the desire to conquer and con-
troll another people, or to expand the
territory of the country that is the
aggressor in the war. Prevent the i'm
centive for war growing out of self
ish desire for aggression, as the over
weening force of this covenant will do
and few actual causes of war will re-
main that can not without difficulty OF
danger be submitted to the high court
of arbitration
''You may say: Then, why should we
become involved In an alliance that may
drag us into the disputes, the disas-
ters and theSdangers or other nations? !?
This was the doctrine our fathers be-
lieved In, and one that am slow to
yield But we face condition not
theory. Time and space have beer
eliminated. Dangers to our people and
our republic that were not dreamed
of century ago confront us today
at our very doors, a threatening men.
ace to our lives, our civilization and
our institutions Shall we continue tc
cream Of the trials of the past or meet
ture? For me, there is but one course
to pursue"