Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-15
SWANSON DEFENDS
LEAGUE Of NATIONS
IN SENATE ADDRESS
Virginian Denies Pact
Creates Super-Nation and
Destroys Sovereignty.
ASSERTS MONROE DOCTRINE
NOT AFFECTED BY SOCIETY
Another Contention That Cove
nant Is Worthless Firmly
Rejected by Senator
OPENS NEW ERA FOR WORLD
Points to Bitterness With Which
American Constitution Was AS.
sailed in Early Days.

WASHINGTON, July 10 Senator
Swanson. OF Virginia. in one OF the
ablest speeches of his career in the
Senate. went today to the defense OF
the league of nations. and in the two
hours in which he held the Senate floor
he covered practically every disputed
point raised in connection with this
world wide covenant.
Taking up the question OF the al
legged surrender of sovereignty by
those states which. become members
that involving the sa crifice. as charged.
OF the Monroe Doctrine and the dis
armament proposal. the Virginian
made an effective answer to the alarm
.sts. The Senator contended that the
great war would have been fought In
vain II out of It did not come some
plan for the preservation or peace and
the outlawing of war-inclincd nations.
Address by Swanson.
Senator Swanson, In part. said:
| This Senate, empowered under the
| Constitution with authority TO approve
or reject the impending treaty, con-
posed. leaguesof nations. Is confronted
with the gravcst responsibility that
mas. mas come & to 1t within It's recent his
! OF safe and moderate assertion when
afhrm that never before in world
SIlSlS mas IL Legislative 0Ony mad de-
! pendent upon its conclusion suoil i'm
| portant and far-reaching conclusions.
1t is recognized that without our con-
currenee and cordial cooperation the
doomed to failure: If We withhold our
support, the whole plan would imme-
diaie'y disappear. defeated destroyed
Thus upon our deliberations and dec-
son the future situation of the world
largely depends
The covenant OF the league. as at
present constituted. has been assailed
from two opposite sources. One con-
tention is that 1t created a superna-
ton, submerginS into its sovereignty
the sovereignty Of all the signatories
TO the covenant; that A supreme world
! sovereign is created to whom the ma
tions are subordinated. The other con-
.tention urged by it's opponents with
equal insistence. is that the covenant
is worthless paper parchment, with
out sovereignty without power and
hence the league will be helpless to
political conditions that may arise.
Both Cannot he True.
1T is Impossible for both of these
contentious TO be true. These two
Soneeptions sons Of the league, are so d.
can never be reconciled. These two
schools of disputants will doubtless
continue their interminable debate
tive interpretations. However, neither
contention is correct The league will
neither be Superstate or sovereign
nor helpless. powerless associa ton
of nations.
The. instrument creating the league
or nations is covenant entered into
by sovereign states for the accomnljsh-
ment of certain purposes in designated
ways. No nation surrcnders its SOW
Sreignty by becoming member OF the
league. one of the attributes OF SOW
ereignty is the ability TO make cove
nants or agreements. None OF tn.
members OF the league subscribe TO
Undertakings which impair their SOW
Much opposition has been urged
against the league because n great ma
tion like the United states has only
one vote in the. assembly and small
nations. like Siam and Liberia. each
has fun vote. and also because Great
fritain has one vote and her five self
governing colonies a vote each Bur
what difference does the number Of
votes make when on all i'm portant mat
be unanimous. or have the unanimous
concurrence OF tho council. upon which
The United states is permanently rep
resented?
L. s .Ins Veto Power.
Thus in matters of Importance
before the assembly. except in cases
where! where she Is u party to dispute. the
odwsr n,tSa ana H,d'es decis;opn Wi possess veto
| reached by her concurrence Thus the
question Of the number Of votes in
the assembly. held by different groups.
Tho league could never he organ
izcd on any basis other than that OF
equal representation for it's members
if members We're accorded difference
In representation. upon what basis
would the apportionment be made? II
upon population. China and India
would dominate the league. and the
United States would have only one
fifteenth OF the number. II based
upon wealth and military power. the
situation woull he equally as uncer-
tain and unsatisfactory.
IT was wise conclusion to give
equal representation to all members
and require unanimous agreement upon
all important matters before action
can be obtained. BY doing this inn
portant national interests were not
loft to the decision OF uncertain and
changing majortes 1t eliminated the
necessity for intriguing manipulation.
with its attendant evils. to control n
majority. of the representatives nv
this method the interests of the United
states in all important matters. en-
cept those TO which she herself is a
disputing party. Is erected safely upo,
the solid foundation of her own juds-
ment and will, and is not left to re.
pose upon the uuicksands OF uncertain
and shifting majorities.
Tho assembly as constituted fur
nishes ample means for the protection
OF the United States. At present this
lis the best and only possible mannr: