The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-02

rvine on our share OF the war, I ask
your consideration OF the last para
graph of Article 1e, by which the High
Contracting Parties agree further that
they will mutually support one another
in the financial and economic meas
ures which may be taken under this
article, in order to minimize the loss
and Inconvenience resulting from the
above measures What our contribu-
lions will be under this, how much our
citizens must be ground down by taxes
to take caro- Of wild and extravagant
expenditures which we did not ana
would not initiate and over which we
would have no control, only an al-wise
Providence can foresee.
Thus the proposed covenant, instead
OF abolishing war, actually sanctions,
breeds and commands 1t. Moreover, IL
absolutely requires that every futufe
war shall be a potential world war,
and that we shall be an active partict-
pant In every such war. We are thus
thrust fully into the terrible cauldron
of European politics. and every out
break in the Balkans (even domestic.
II IL threaten international war; Will
call for some expenditure OF treasure,
for some shedding of American blood,
for some loss of American life. It Is
idle and fatuous to hope or believe
these outbreaks will not occur, for anibi-
tloub IHoH uO HOI HeoilhlO " "aoto hAO
in order to punish an enemy or gain
goal.
1.-THE plan. therefore. fails to meet the
first test.
1--WE come now to the second question
proposedi Do the provisions of the
proposed covenant strike down the pre-
cepts Of the Constitution? A mere list
ing of some of the more conspicuous
provisions Of each elbows that It does.
Overrides Constitution.
Under the Constitution the Congress
Of the United States has the exclusive
power TO declare war. The proposed
covenant, puts the power of declaring
war in the hands of the Executive Coun-
Gil, in which 1t is true we have voice
but not the constitutional voice. Thus.
whether Congress wishes or not, whether
the people wish or not, we may be forced
into war with all its sacrifices of life,
in cause in which we have no real
concern and with which we may be out
of sympathy. under the penalty that IL
we do not go to war we shall, by break
ing a covenant of the League, bring war
upon ourselves by the balance of the
world.
Under the Constitution the Congress
OF the United States has the exclusive
power to raise and support armies and
covenant provides that the Executive
| Council shall formulate plans limiting
| the size OF our army and navy, that the
council shall then determine for the
consideration and action OF the several
| Governments what military equipment
and armament is fair and reasonable In
| proportion to the scale of forces laid
down in the programme of disarmament.
and these limits when adopted, shall not
be exceeded without the permission OF
the Executive Council
III we act In good faith under this
agreement we shall of course adopt the
, armament limits which as member OF
| the Executive Council we shall have as
| sisted m formulating. Thereafter no
| matter what our necessity or what its
urgency, no matter what Congress or the
people themselves may think the situa-
| ton requires, we cannot raise a single
man beyond our limit save and except
it be approved by the Executive Council
in which we are one of nine participating
| States. If war were abolished this
might DO to!erable. but with war legal
lied even between members OF the Leagus
and actually commanded in certain con-
tingencies, this may spell for us over
/ whelming disaster.