The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-10

OF Inc league, the EXCLUSION or the dis
putants under the league rules shall
cover the aggregate vote of the men,
Der of the league and its self govern
ing dominions and parts of empire
combined If any one Of them Is in
volved in the controversy.
THE remaining amendments with
single exception. may be treated as
one, for the purpose of all alike is to
relieve the United States from having
representatives on the commissions es-
tablished by the league which deal
with questions In which the United
States has and can have no interest
and in which the United States has
evidently been inserted by design. The
exception Is amendment No AS which
provides that the United States shall
have member of the reparation com.
mission, but that such commissioner
of the United States can not, excep.
ton in the case Of shipping where the
interests of the United States are di-
rectly involved, deal with or vote upon
any other questions before that COM
mission except under Instructions from
the government of the United States.
Right to Withdraw.
The committee proposes reserva-
tions to be made a part of the resolu-
ton OF ratification when it Is offered
The committee reserves, Of course, the
right Ito offer other reservations If
they shall so determine.
The four reservations now presented
are as follows:
1.-THE United States reserves to
itself the unconditional right to with
draw from the league of nations upon
the notice provided in Article !, Of
said treaty of peace with Germany.
The provision in the league cove
nant for withdrawal declares that any
member may withdraw provided it has
fulfilled all its International obliga-
tions under the covenant. There has
| been much dispute as to who would
decide if the question of the fulfill
ment of obligations was raised, and it
is very generally thought that this
| question would be settled by the coun-
Gil of the league of nations. The best
| that can be said about it is that the
question of declination is clouded with
| doubt. On such point as this, there
must be no doubt The United States,
which has never broken an Internal.
ional obligation, cannot permit all its
exciting treaties to be reviewed, and
| its conduct and honor questioned by
! other nations The same may be said
in regard to the fulfillment of the OBJ
legations to the league. 1t must be
made perfectly clear that the United
States alone is to determine as to the
fulfillment of its obligations, and Its
right of withdrawal must therefore
be unconditional as provided in this
| reservation.
Mandate Is Opposed.
"2-The United States declines to
assume, under the provisions of Ar
ticle X or any other article, any OBJ.
legations to preserve the territorial
integrity or political independence OF
any other country or to interfere ir
controversies between nations, mem
bers of the league or not, or to EN-
ploy the military or naval forces OF
the United States in such controver
sizes, or to adopt economic measures
for the protection of any other coun
try, whether a member Of the league
of nations or not, against external ag
greSsion or purpose of coercing any
other country, or for the purpose Of
intervention in the internal conflicts
or other controversies which may
arise in any other country, and M
mandate shall be accepted by the
United States under Article %, part
of the treaty of peace with Ger
many. except by action of the con
gress of the United States.
This reservation is intended to meet
the most vital objection to the leaSue
covenant as it stands. Under no cir
cumstances must there be any legal o.
moral obligation upon the United
States to enter into war or to send its
army and navy abroad or without the
unfettered action of congress to i'm
hnvn0ftS her conn
, tries. Under the constitution of thu
United States the congress alone ha
; the power to declare war, and all bill:
to raise revenue or affecting the rev
enue in any way must originate in TIT
house of representatives, be passed b!
, the senate and receive the signature
. of the president. The constitutions
, rights of congress must not be impair
, ed by any agreements such as are pre-
scented in this treaty, nor can any OF
portunity of charging the Unite'
. States with bad faith be permitted
q No American soldiers or sailors mus
be sent to fight in other lands at tn
: bidding of a league of nations. Amer
, lean lives must not be sacrificed eS
: cept by the Will and command of tn
2 American people acting through thei
constitutional representatives in cor
greSS.
This reservation also covers tn
g subject of mandates. According t
o the provisions of the covenant Of III
e league the acceptance of mandate h
/ any member is voluntary, but is t
who shall have authority to refuse I
e accept a mandate for any country tn
e covenant of the league is silent. TIL
r decision as to accepting a mandat
f must rest exclusively within the cor
J. troll of the congress Of the Unite
I States as the reservation provides an
d must not be delegated, even by infeI
o ence, to any personal agent or to an
r delegate or commissioner.
l. To Decide Domestic Questions.
e "'3-The United States reserves I
t itself exclusively the right to decid
e what questions are within its domesti
y Jurisdiction and declares that all d.
t nestle and political questions relatin
f to its affairs, including immigrat ioI
/. coastwise traffic, the tariff commerce
e and all other domestic questions, ar
t soley within the jurisdiction of til
0 United States and are not under thi
e treaty submitted in any way either t
0 arbitration or to the consideration c
4 Of Of