The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-13
ROOTS AMENDMENTS
PARTLY ADOPTED
Two Out of Six Suggestions
Are Accepted.

or the six amendments to the FIRST
draft of the covenant proposed by Elihu
Root two are accepted, two are rejected.
one Is provided for in q fashion hardly
moro foroefui than that which Mr.. Root
originally proposed to improve, and the
sixth is lodged by an involved recon-
struction OF the criticised article. Article
X. of the old draft
Article X originally provided that the
signatories undertook TO respect and
preserve as against external aggression
the territorial integrity and existing po-
litical Independence of all States menu
bers OF the league" Mr.. Root suggested
that this be followed by notice that after
five years any slgnatory could divest it.
self OF the particular obligation under
this section upon one years notice.
As this phase of the convention now
appears the slgnatories In "t3) tC)"
agree ito respect each others territory
and personal CD independence and to
guarantee them against foreign agrees
SION" Though this language is simpler
AID apparently even stronger than that
of the old Article X. and though there is
no subjoined reservation providing for
denunciation Of this obligation in par
ticular, the other provisions for binding
action and decisive advice by the Execu-
tive Council have been undoubtedly
weakened considerably.
The Root recommendations looking to
the recognition Of International law as
an authoritative corpus juris and for the
establishment Of a definite tribunal for
its Interpretation are practically ignored.
Ii. t. lFafl
"a fortnight agreement from the sigma
tories to submit all justiciable disputes,
including those affecting national honor
ard interest, either to The Hague Tribu-
nal or to a court to be established by
the league. This amendment Rketched
the circumstances under which dis
pute must be submitted.
His second amendment provided for a
general conference OF the Powers after
Ave years to study the state OF interna-
tional law and practically TO codify 1t.
with like meetings at SEATED subsequent
intervals.
The las mentioned recommendation is
completely ignored. Regarding the COM
pulsory submission OF disputes the Ian
guage OF the first draft is simplifed and
shortened. even weakened as compared
with the first draft. and there Is no
recognition OF the Root principle that
justiciable disputes must be submitted.
The present language, the last sentence
OF "(2.' Is merely;
"a permanent court OF international
justice and various permanent commits
sions and bureaus are also to be estab-
lished"
In "(3) CD" the signatories agree
ito submit all international disputes
either to arbitration or to inquiry by
the council" but the new draft con-
tains no provisions which. as the Root
provisions would, declare the existence
OF the principles of international law
and provide for the elimination OF dis
putes within the realm OF the justiciable
through their automatic submission 10
an authoritative tribunal already estab-
lished or to be established.
The Root recommendation as to safe
guarding the Monroe Doctrine is covered
in the new "H," but unlike the Root
plan "(4)" ties the Monroe Doctrine I'm