The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-22


ious contingencies not contemplated
by Monroe. This fact exposes the doc
trine in an unusual degree to the I'M
Icertainties Of Interpretation. There
| fore, unless 1t be specifically provided
! in the constitution of the league OF
nations that the Interpretation Of the
Monroe doctrine accepted by the
league shall be our own Interpretation
OF that policy we may be sure that IL.
in an emergency, the council of nine
shall be asked by us to accept our in
| depreciation Of the Monroe doctrine
the council will have the right to do
| otlerwise.
The fact that all decisions OF the
council must now be unanimous will
make II certain that such plea by us
would be rejected IL it were directed
I against one member of the council
| Japan for Observation-Disclosures the con-
cursence OF Japans will now be neces-
sary to every affirmative as Well as
to every negative decision Of the coun-
| Gil
+ The foregoing clearly illustrates the
possibilities Of danger, now unforeseen,
which we shall invite il we commit
(. to council or assembly, composed OF
the representatives OF other nations,
any Of the rights which we now ex-
| ercise and interpret for ourselves by
reason of the declaration of indepen-
dence, the constitution Of the United
States. or the Monroe doctrine
! The following is another illustra-
| ton of the difficulties for us which
Turk in this document-in example its
provisions that all decisions of the
assembly or council must be unani-
nous, except in certain specific cases,
EIstters of procedure, for instance, be-
ing decided by a majority vote" In
the revised constitution, as In the
other, the members having once set
| to secure the unanimous concurrence
and navies they are thereafter not to
1 increase them without the concurrence
of the council"
| Suppose, for instance, that we should
need suddenly to increase our army
(, in order to deal with Mexico. 1t
would then become necessary for US
! TO secure the unanimous concurrence
( of the council before being able to do
! SO. If Japan, for example, should re-
i fuse to concur we would then be pow
erless to act in Mexico with force
| sufficient to make our will effective.
Japan might thus be in position to
I
| Again, IL it be contended that the
withdrawal clause which has been in
serted In the covenant makes 1t possi-
bic for us to avoid. If we wish, the
unpleasant consequences of still other
Objectionable clauses in the document,
| the ensuing illustration will prove
such a contention to be correct The
withdrawal clause says "A state
may withdraw from the league, pro-
| viding it has. kept its obligations to
! date, on giving two years notice"
Suppose that within the next few
years the new Russia should sudden
| Iy move to attack the Indian frontier
as 1t was always feared the old Russia
would do--the United States would
| then be bound, under old clause 10,
which still Is retained, to send her
troops to defend British India from
! Russia The difference In size be-
tween the peace time Russian and
/! British armies gives fair measure
of what sort OF military effort such a
contingency might require Of US. AS
+ the retained clause 10, to which / have
referred, requires the members of the
/ league ''to respect each others terri
/ tory and personal independence, and
/ to guarantee them against foreign ag-
gression," we could not escape this
duty. Neither could we escape it under
/ the withdrawal clause, because we
should be bound for two years to send
cur troops to India, Notwithstanding
4 our right to withdraw.
Many other possibilities of trouble
could be cited which this unders tand-
! ing, If 1t be ratified by the senate,
may bring upon us. But the cases
described are sufficient, believe. to
show the unwisdom of hastily exchang-
| ing the we'll tried policies which have
r'ade of Americans the safest, most
prosperous, and happiest people in the
world, for a wholly experimental ex-
cursion into the unknown and obvious
/ iy dangerous regions of International
/ ism, whence they may return sad.
sorry, and impoverished. Let for
tunate America let well enough alone.
HENRY A. WISE WOOD.
| New York City, April 10, 1919.