Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-04-04
LEAGUE COVENANT
IS OvERHAULED
Three Major Problems Undecid-
ed; Not Discussed.
MONROE DOCTRINE Is ONE
President Wilson Is Holding Back for
the Grand Finaie-Japanese Have
Something Up Their Sleeves"
on Racial Equality Clause.

Paris, March 2S.-ThOugh the league
of nations covenant now has been
completely Overhauled and partly re-
cast, three major problems remain un-
decided which have not even been dis
cussed at the redrafting sessions of
the league commission. The problems
are:
l. The Monroe doctrine, for which
President Wilson reserved a safe
guarding amendment without actually
offering one.
2. The racial equality clause, which
the Japanese still have ''up their
Sleeves" but which they refrained from
offering at the commission meeting.
8. The French proposal for league
of nations military staff, which would
prepare plans, and which, the French
hope, would act more quickly than the
league itself in the event of another
invasion.
The revised covenant now is in the
hands of a redrafting committee which
will incorporate the adopted changes
will incorporate the adopted changes
in suitable form. Thus modified, the
draft will be subject to ratification by
the full commission.
Amendments, whether expressly re-
served or not, may arise at any future
meeting, and the last chance to intro
duce changes will not come until the
covenant is submitted to the ratif1ca-
ton of an open plenary session of the
peace conference.
Concession to Opposition.
The greatest concession to the Amer
lean Republican opposition is seen in
the insertion of an absolute clause af-
firming that all members shall have
the right to withdraw from the league
whenever they consider this to serve
their respective national interests.
In the course of the debate on this
clause, President Wilson told the COM
mittee that as far as the United States
was concerned, it would not withdraw
unless it's reasons for withdrawing
were sufficiently justified in the eyes
of the entire civilized world. The rep
resCntatives of the majority of other
nations made similar statements.
What President Wilson has in mind
with regard to the Monroe doctrine is
mystery. Whatever amendment he
may Offe" will not be introduced I'M
der that name, because it is regarded
as too indefinite and subject to too
many varied interpretations.
Nor is 1t known exactly what the
Japanese will offer in connection with
the race-discriminatiOn question.
Here are the main decisions of the
league commission which the redraft-
ing committee will embody in the COW
enant:
l. Women may hold any office in the
league. The proposal, made by Lord
Robert Cecil, was unanimously and en-
Enthusiastically adopted without discus
sion.
2. Colonel House and Messrs Or
landO, SHUTS and Maxine were APP
pointed to select Capital for the
league. 1t may be said in parenthesis
that judging from the composition of
this committee Geneva, Switzerland,
has the best chances to become the
seat of the league.
This committee will prepare the peg
on which the league may hang it's hat.
habitation before it has been legally
ratified. 1t will select a building and
even collect furniture and prepare sta
tionery and the physical machinery for
the leagues workings.
Neutral for Secretary?
An important "job" in the league
will be. that of secretary, which means
an executive officer Probably citi-
zen of some neutral nation will be Sc
lected for this position, though no
names have yet been mentioned.
3. 1t will be definitely stated in the
covenant that no member nation can
be forced to take a mandate for one or
more colonies. This was implied by
the original draft, but is now to be
specifically stated.
4. A special group of clauses will be
added referring to labor, commerce,
traffic in war material. white slavery
and drugs. explicit conventions regard
ing which will be left for future elab-
GRAFTON.
1t is perhaps worth mentioning that
nothing is said about prohibition.
3. Member nations desiring TO with
draw must give two years notice. This
is designed to forestall possible wars
arising over the secession of mem
herS.'
When the drafting committee has
finished it's work the new covenant
probably will be published so it may
again be thoroughly discussed by the
whole world. But whatever happens,
II is absolutely certain that the phras-
ing of the covenant will not delay the
drafting of the treaty of peace. That,
TOO. goes on apace under the new pub
lie and bolsheviSt pressure.
The reason why the big four didn't
get together and do before Christmas
what they are doing now is that the
allies were no more ready for peace