Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-23

until three mouths after such ma
chinery for peaceful settlement has
failed. BY Articles XVI and XVII 2
breach of such covenants Is to be
penalized by an immediate and uni
versal boycott Of the covenant
breaking nation and then by, sucn
military expeditions as the members
Of the League shall determine neces-
sary on the recommendation OF the
Council. Unless, therefore. the ex-
ternal aggression in violation or Ar
ticle x occurs three months after at
tempts at peaceful settlement under
Articles XII and XIV have failed 50
that the covenants of those articles
are not broken by it.. the penalizing
provisions Of Articles XVI and XVII
would apply to the aggression.
whether for the purpose forbidden In
Article X or not. In other words.
Article X only increases the opliga-
ticns Of the members OF the League
beyond those of Article XVI in re-
spect Of wars which do not violate
the covenants of Article XII, XIII or
Nv. Article X becomes practically
important. therefore. only after the
purpose of the war has been clearly
disclosed. A war only for punitive
purposes without taking territory or
overthrowing a government would
not violate Article y. .
We have seen this exemplifed in
our construction Of our own Mon
roe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine.
as originally declared by Monroe.
was Article X limited to the agrees
sion Of non American nations against
countries of the Western Hemisphere.
When Spain attacked Chill during
Mr.. Stewards incumbency as Secre-
tary Of State and Chilli called on the
United States to defend her. Mr.. Sc
ward replied that our policy did not
look to our defending an American
state against any punitive war by
non American power, but only
against one intended to take territory
or to destroy independence. Mr..
Roosevelt laid down the same limi-
tation Of the Doctrine in the Ven
ezuela case as to wars begun merely
to collect financial obligations when
they did not speak appropriation Of
territory or deprivation Of indepen-
dence.
Modified BY Other Articles
The intervention of the League
under Article X is. therefore, likely
to be invoked only in cases where
the victor in a war legal Under
Articles XII. XIII and XIV, seeks to
impose terms on its enemy contrary
to the undertaking Of Article x. In
all other cases. resort to Article x
will be unnecessary because action
under it will have been anticipated
under other articles. Article X,
therefore. enlarges the scope Of the
obligations of the League much less
than has been generally assumed.
Second. should a violation Of Arti-
Gle x occur, and the Council advise
plan for fulfilling it's obligation by
the members of the League. this plan
will have to be unanimously agreed
upon by the Council. We have con-
stantly one representative in the
Council. who must thus join in ad-
vising the plan. We can reasonably
assume. therefore. that the plan rec
commended will not involve us in mill
itary expeditions unreasonably re-
mote or inconvenient. and that it will
advise our action in that part Of the
world where we can most promptly
furnish aid and in respect to wars in
which by reason Of proximity we
naturally have a direct interest.
The discussion Of this article will
be continued in the next letter