The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-18
sen. REED OBJECTS
TO LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Declares 1t Would Impair American Sow
ereignty, Abrogate the Monroe Doc
trine, Violate American Con-
stitution, Etc.

uNANAHpu Wy 4htsf Adltu 10 ne
Missouri legislature in joint session to-
day heard an address by United States
Senator Reed of Missouri, criticising the
league of nation constitution.
Reiterating contentious that the
league would impair American sovereign
ty, abrogate the Monroe doctrine violate
| the American constitution, create "su-
per government of the world and force
the United States into worldwide diff
cuIties and policing obligations, Senator
Reed challenged assertions of its advo.
Gates that the leagues DEGREES and pow
ers would be merely advisory. He in
sisted that its action would be manda-
tory and involve command of the
world"
There are a number Of advocates of
the league said Senator Reed, who
seek to protect it against the Indignation
of the American people by arguing that
the council has only the power to recon-
the several nations to comply or to re.
fuse to comply with the recommended
ton
"Let us examine that miserable argu-
ment If it be a true statement, then
the league is backed by no force whatso.
ever and the league is an innocuous
| thing. Why multiply so many words
about armies and navies and force il
there is to be no force?
"If, however. it is contended that the
obligation is morally binding, then in
deed we are worse ofT-because the Unit
ed States will keep its moral obligations,
whereas some other nations might not
"All these contentious were utterly
destroyed by the president, who, when
he presented the league constitution 70
the peace council, expressly stated:
Armed force is in the background sof
this program. but it is in the background
and If the moral forces Of the world will
not suffice, the physical force of the
world shall
In detail Senator Reed analysed the
league charter. copies of which he had
distributed to all members of the joint
legislative session. Declaring that the
tentative constitution was of British or
igin, he asserted that America would be
directly entsugled in European alliances,
and added
European diplomats have skillfulIy
woven their spiders web so that we may
be caught in ito meshes and may be
bound for all time to send our gallant
sons TO assist the dominant nations Of
the earth in policing the world, and uti-
mately to assist some of them in the
ambitions for power, or quarrels over
territory"
Asserting that the league charter con
tains no provision for withdrawal of ma
tions from the league, Senator Reed con
tinued:
Those who conceived its structure did
not intend to allow the United States TO
escape, once it should fatefully step
within the entangling web,
"The American people were told that
the constitution of the league has been
conceived by American representatives
and was being forced on reluctant Eu-
rope. 1t now transpires that the entire
scheme, from first to last, with some
slight notifications, is the product of
British craftsmanship"
This might indicate, he said, why Eng
land would out-vote the United States
five to one and be allowed to retain her
feet.
The executive council feature of the
plan was attacked especially by the SEN
atOr.
I'VE thus create an oligsrchy clothed
with more arbitrary powers than were
ever welded by any despot on earth" he
said, Here is a tribunal of five men,
without any limitations whatsoever,
upon their authority, against whose de-
cision, once rendered, there is no appeal
save to armed forces Against the abuse
of their power there are neither checks
nor safeguards If this be not a crea
ton of the very command of the word,
then the language of agreements cannot
create powers
Senator Reed said there was wide pub
lie misconception of the league and that
majority of the American people had
not read the proposed constitution.
The misapprehension thus threat
ened," he said, has been recently fos-
tered by certain distinguished men who
have fortified their arguments by char
acterizing all those who opposed them
as narrow headed, pygmy minded, etc.
1t has been suggested that those who
venture to inquire ought TO be hanged
upon gibbets as high as heaven but
pointed in the opposite direction
"The questions involved are too great
to be settled by the mere calling of
names"
Citing questions which would be
brought before the league, Senator Reed
said that among them might be grant
by Mexico of land to Japan, or sale by
Colombia Of land to some foreign power
which could erect a fortress to command
the Panama canal.
The disarmament provision of the
league charter, the senator asserted,
would give the executive council absolute
power to limit American armament. He
added:
1--WE may be beleaguered by enemies.
All the enemies of destruction may be
guarding about us. But unless we can
gain the consent Of the five masters of
the world 1.-THE executive councl) we
must remain unprepared and meet our
fate with naked hands.