The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-24

tending to unite the forces OF the
world in police duty 70 suppress wars
OF conquest.
Defends Mooted Article X.
The power OF amendment contained
within the terms of the league oners
full opportunity to remedy the defects
OF the league with reference to the in
ternatIonal court and In other respects:
| The great point which supporters OF
the league OF nations should seek 10
the establishment OF basis upon
which. through amendment, the league
can be perfected, 1t Is absolutely nee
essary to retain Article x In order 70
stabilize. the world. The huid con-
ems the stability Of the world. and it
needs the united force OF the world to
restore normal condition OF self
| maintenance. In my judgment. there
fore, 1t would be most unfortunate Il
| the cautionary influence of Article x
may not be retained in crucial decade
through which the world is to pass.
The attitude OF hostility toward the
president has aroused criticism and OPP
position which might have been avoided
had he taken with him such a man as
Mr.. Root. and two representatives of
the foreign relations committee in the
senate. The criticisms thus aroused
have stirred the conscience OF a num-
Der of republican senators, and have
endangered the ratification OF the league
by two-thirds OF the senate. Il
Mr.. Wilson's influence with his dem
oeratic supporters In the senate will
secure perhaps forty-five votes. Nine
the question is how they can be Sc
cured. don think they can be secured
except by relieving their consciences
through reassuring interpretations Of
the league. OF such character that
further NEGOTIATION and conference. and
delay by the other nations who dictated
Would Ratlfy. Treaty AS II Is. i
After consideration of the arguments
made on the subject have formulated
with the hope that they will suggest
basis of agreement between the demo-
Gratis and sufficient republicans to rat
ify the treaty and secure us the in
which will be the foundation for growth
and development into a new era In our |
international relations.
The attempt OF such men as Senator |
Borah, Senator johnson. Senator Sher- |
man and others to defeat the treaty |
and the deliberate exaggeration of the
'Shantung feature of the treaty do not. |
think, indicate. the attitude of the |
ma jority of the republican party in the |
senate, and ! do not think that any
attention should be paid to the SUCCESS
ton that the treaty. be amended in its
arrangement of the map Of the region
OF the war.
To repeat, ! am strongly in favor
of ratifying the treaty a sit is. Were
in the senate, would not hesitate
to vote for it, but the situation may re-
quire concession to secure ratification,
and suggest what have already sent
to you, q copy of which | inclose, as
something that will secure a useful
league OF nations which may be i'm
tnl. laA
may satisfy the genuine objections of
the republican friends of the league in
the senate.
Coming now to specific interpreta-
tions, it seems to me that the first |
achieved all that the craftsmen of the |
interpretated relieves that clause from |
a possible construction by which the |
actual withdrawal on two years notice |
might be greatly hindered through the |
claims of the other members OF the
league.
The second Interpretation has to do
with the presence in the league, as |
members, of governing dominions |
or colonies of home government, also |
a member Certainly in small body |
like that of the council, it would be |
unfair to have a home government rep |
resented and also one of its dominions !
or colonies. and cannot think 1t was |
the intention of the trainers of the |
covenant that this might happen. Yet
! am bound to say that such a result |
is not excluded by the present language |
of the covenant in Article x and Article |
w; nor does the language of Article |
XIV necessarily exclude from the trtbu-
nal to recommend settlement of dis
pute, a home government where one |
of its dominions or colonies is party, |
nor does it necessarily exclude a do
minion or colony from such tribunal |
where the home government may be
a party; yet.
Sees Deficit In Article.
I have no doubt that both OF these |
exclusions were intended by the franz
ers OF the covenant. Nor the function J
to be performed by the council of the
assembly under article XIV so as to re- |
quire that it should act judicially and |
according a to, international law or
equity and justice. 1 have no doubt |
that it was intended that the language |
the function OF the duties of the coun- |
Gil or assembly under article XIV, and,
therefore, that the language l have in |
troduced in the second Interpretation |
is merely giving expression to that
which ought to he inferred as the in
tention OF the trainers of the covenant, |
l may say that it supplies that which |
Mr.. Root forcbly represented as a de-
feet of the covenant
The third Interpretation is an exact
legal construction of the effect of ar
ticle X and do not see how any of the |
signatory powers can object to 1t. The |
conclusions in respect to the function /
of congress under this article is the |
necessary result of the distribution of |
power under our constitution to which |
none of the associate members of the |
league can object,
The fourth Interpretation Is a mere |
statement of international law and the |
proper construction of the seventh par
agraph of article XIV which is only in
serted to satisfy criticism of that para
graph, based on the. unfounded as
sumption that some tribunal of the
league will be found which will declare /
issues in respect to immigration or the
tariff be something other than a ques-
ton of domestic policy. If as all au-
thorities show, immigration and tariff
unaffected by treaties, are purely do
mestic questions, then 1t cannot injure
the league to say that which Is UNI
doubtedly a maximum of international
law and remove the concern of those
who suspect other nations of being in
constant and unprincipled conspiracy
against the interests of the United /
States. We may deplore this attitude
of mind, but where it costs nothing in
the effectiveness of the league, we may
well insert a provision to remove the I
fears it prompts.
Defines Monroe Doctrine.
Tho fifth Interpretation defines the
Monroe Doctrine" AS the expression
Monroe Doctrine" is used in article
XXI, and as the United States is the
author of the doctrine and has main