South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-21
The COUenanter articles
Making Clear the Paris Covenant of
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Continued from Page One).


sive. provision is inside for the peace
ful settlement Of ali threatening dis
pUtes between nations by safeguard
ing action Of the league. by arbitra-
ton. by mediation and recommenda-
ton OF settlement. and by enforce
ment Of covenants restraining war
until three months after such ma
chinery fo- peaceful settlement has
failed. BY Articles XVI and XVII a
breach OF such covenants is 20 be
penaiized BY an immediate and uni
versal boycott or the covenant
breaking nation and then by such
military expeditions as n members
Of the league shall determine neces-
sary on the recommendation OF the
council. Unless. therefore. the eX-
ternal aggression in violation OF Ar
ticle X occurs three months after at
tempts al peaceful settlement under
Articles XII 70 XV have failed so
that the covenants OF those articles
are not broken by Il. the penalizing
provisions Of Articles XVI and XVII
would apply 10 the aggression.
whether for the purpose forbidden
aA - AAAAE n VI HI VNAANA
Article X only increases the obliga-
tions OF the members Of the league
beyond those OF Article XVI in re-
spect OF wars which do not violate
the covenants Of Articles MI. XIII
OF XIV. Article Y becomes practi-
cally important. therefore. only aft
er the purpose OF the war has been
clearly disclosed. a war only for
punitive purposes without taking
territory or overthrowing a govern
ment would NOT violate Article Y.
We have seen this exemplified in
our construction OF our own Monroe
doctrine. The Monroe doctrine. as
originally declared by Monroe, was
Article X limited 10 the aggression
Of nOn-American nations against
countries OF the western hemisphere.
When Spain attacked Chill during
Mr.. Stewards incumbency as secre-
tary OF state and Chill called on the
United States 10 defend her, Mr..
seward replied that our policy did
not look 10 our defending an Ameri-
can state against n punitive war
by a non-American power. but only
against one intended 10 take terri
tory or TO destroy independence. Mr..
Roosevelt laid down the same limi-
tation OF the doctrine in the Vene-
zuela case as 10 vars begun merely
20 collect financial obligations when
they did not seek appropriation of
territory or deprivation of independ-
ence.
Modified by Other Articles.
The Intervention Of the league un-
der Article X is. therefore. likely to
be invoked only in cases where the
victor in a war legal under Arti-
cles XII. XIII and XIV sseks 10 i'm
pose terms on its enemy contrary 10
the undertaking Of Article Y. In all
other cases. resort to Article y will
be unnecessary because action under
II will have been anticipated under
other articles. Article Y, therefore,
eniarges the scope Of the obligations
Of the league much less than has
been generally assumed.
Second. should a violation OF Arti-
Gle Y ccur. and the council advise
a plan for fulfilling its obligation by
the members OF the league. this plan
will have to be unanimously agreed
upon by the council. We have con-
stantly one representative in the
council. who must thus join in advis-
irg the plan. We "a reasonably as
sumo, therefore. hat the plan recon-
mended will not involve us in mill
tary expeditions unreasonably re-
mote OF inconvenient. and that it
Will advise our action in that part OF
the world where we can most
promptly furnish aid and in respect
20 wars in which by reason OF prox-
unity we naturally have a direct in.
terest
The discussion OF this article viii
be continued in the next article.