Evening journal., 1919-06-28
The Power That Consfrues
Determines the Power That Rules
tFrom the Ne " York Sun.

objection, that Of Colonel House. for
instance. or whoever shall represent
the United states government. will be
sufficient TO oyerrule the judgment and
block the intentions OF an the other
member governments So we have
nothing 10 fear in the way Of a con-
struction or application OF the Monroe
Doctrine from the Geneva point OF
view forced upon Washington against
rs own judgment and ITS own vo-
lition.2
IL will be obvious. we think. 10 the
most numbering intelligence that II Mr..
Taft's view Of the matter IS correct
the League OF Nations viii be about as
poWerltss 10 validate is decisions az
Geneva as Is now the League 90 En-
force Peace, the respectable and well
meaning organization over which he
himself SO amiably presides The Cen
eva League becomes almost derisory In
its mild Intellectually. and the vision
OF supersoyoreignty fades away like a
decadent rainbow.
But, on The other hand. we get a
very different outlook for American in
dependence II Mr.. Taft happens 10 be
too optimistic and Lord Robert Cecil
and The British delegates are right In
their view that the power OF construc-
tion Of a purely American policy like
the Monroe Doctrine will rest at Cen
eva, with the League OF Nations there
TO settle any dispute over the mean
ing Of it, That would be indeed super
government supersovereignty TO the
limit.
For the power 20 eonstrue IS the
power OF determination. II the League
at Geneva should construe the Mon
roe Doctrine as non-applicable 10 the
question, let us say. Of the exclusive
right Of the United states 90 determine
for itself its course OF action I'm Mex
leo, without European participation in
the settlement Of border troubles along
the Rio Grande, and the rest OF the
League membership should have a di-
rect interest in forcing upon up their
Stacking cooperation. 10 needs no
prophets gift TO foretell the conse-
quences. The requirement OF unanl-
nous consent 90 course OF specific
action In Mexico would become Of no
practical importance 10 us for the
construction Of the Monroe Doctrine,
the determination what did or did not
come under that Doctrine, would be
with the Geneva Assembly, for which
the covenant provides no requirement
Of unanimous vote and wherein the
United states would be or might De in
a minority OF one Article XN. Of the
covenant declares:
"The Council may in any case
under this article refer the dispute
10 the Assembly. The dispute shall
be 50 referred at the request Of
either party TO the dispute Mex
leo, perhaps), provided that such
request be made within fourteen
days after the submission Of the
dispute 10 the Council"
And in such case, as David Jayne
Hill has pointed out, III the United
~tates were a disputant it would have
no voice in the decision, which would
be made by others, without reference
20 international law. I'm accordance with
their prevailing policies, whatever they
might be-"
The men I'm the Senate, and the men
out OF the senate, who are resisting 20
the last this artful contrivance Of
supersovereignty. imagined by a Presi-
dent Of the United States, who has
hesitaied at little in order 10 force his
individual judgment upon his fellow
counirymen. deserve the unfaltering
support of every patriotic American
every American who Is American In
The beloved sense Of that word.