Norwich bulletin., 1919-05-08
ROOTS AMENDMENTS ALL
 REJECTED, SAYS BRANDEGEE1

None of Elilfu Roots suggestions has been. embodied in the final draft of l the league of nations constitution. ac- cording to an interview given by Sen, ator Frank B. BraHdegee, republican,
 of Connecticut to the New York Times
 Senator Brandegee's statement said
 ln part;
 Chairman Hays, Senator Root ana l
 lyzed the original draft of the constitu- 1
 ton of the league of nations He pro-
 ceeded to specify and propose six
 amendments The constitution in the
 form finally approved by the peace
 conference embodies no one of the six amendments thus proposed. Every one of them might have been adopted by the conference without impairing thel effectiveness of the plan of which the constitution is an expression. The rejection places the conference as squarely on record as if it had de-
 liberately made the following declara-
 tlons on the six points in discussion:
 Il. We decline to create a high court | of justice or to do more than direct that plans be formulated for tribunal whose only jurisdiction will depend i upon the consent of the parties. We decline to enact national covenants to i arbitrate justiciable conditions instead l of fighting over them. We are per :, sistent in vesting in the international
 executive cabinet the power to make
 final decisions upon all disputed que9 <, tions, whether legal or political in
 their nature. We accordingly reject 1 Senator Roots first amendment.
 "2. We persist in the practical aban- 1 donment of all effort to promote or maintain system of international : law. We decline to provide for a con-
 4f | i itative form the principles and rules : of international law. We reject Sena- l tor Roots second amendment.
 ! 8. (a) Not recognizing the Monroe 1 doctrine as a declaration of traditional ] opposition to the extension on the western continent, we insist rather upon classifying it as a regional un- i derstanding, and We leave the cabinet i, of nine to determine in any emergency
 whether or not to recognize the valid !; ity of the doctrine, according to their
 political opinion of it's effect upon the | peace of the world.
 .I "(b) We refuse to permit the United ! States or any nation specifically to re- serve for its own decision what inlni-
 grafton it will sanction or forbid. F "(c) We decline to sanction the spe- cific reservation by the United States of purely American questions. We in sist upon leaving the question of a protective tariff. the Panama canal
 and the coastwise trade of the United
 States in the uncertain position in
 which they were left by the. original l draft. We accordingly decline Senator } Roots third amendment.
 5 F ourth-We insist that every mem $ Der of the league shall give continu f ing guarantee to preserve, as against external aggression. the territorial in- , tesrity and existing political inde- f pendence of all members of the league
 We decline to permit a nation to de- l ternine it's obligations as a world 5 guarantor and yet remain a league :. member. We decline Senator Roots l fourth amendment.
 . ''Fifth-Though recognizing that the t primary purpose of the league is tc s ebstruct war and that limitation o1 f ornaments is the most effective meth s cd Of. obstruction, VIC decline to give 0 to the commission constituted under
 Article 3 powers either of inspection y of the actual conditions of arrnamen
 existing in any country or of verified
 ton. Of reports of armaments submit o ted. We decline Senator Roots fit t amendment.
 y.; ''Sixth-'While it has been pointet . out to us that the league cannot be = league of peace for some years t It; come, that 1t is rather an alliance 0 e one-half the active world for the con .ei trol of the other half. and that tl 1T constitution is not q final or conclu ,f sive instrument we decline to provid d fo rthe calling of a conference for it
 revision. We insist that no amend
 ment shall be made except with tn . approval of q majority of nations rep a resented in the assembly. We accord u ingly decline Senator Roots sixt :. amendment
 t' Tn view of the deliberate refuss ,d, of the conference to incorporate in tn N Constitution all or any part of the vi F. tai amendments submitted by Senate lo; Root, it becomes .tlle solemn respon Id sibility of the senate of the Unite .r States to consider the proposals whic ,- the conference has rejected. ,d The president wifi return as a com ,e missioner, bringing with him a docu l. ment prepared in the superheated al s. mosphere of~the conference. He vii d submit it to the country as one alread to committed to the acceptance of all ii off terms. He will find no chief executi1 rs waiting to subject the document { 70 calm and judicial review of Unless the senate is free to cor h. sider the Root amendment and other a, unembarrassed by executive pressur Id or by popular claplor, the people of tt r. United States will be deprived of tt re protection of their own constitutions in safeguards, and may be committe r: without adequate understanding to pr serious international experiment frol ef! the results of which they have lit 70 to gain and much to lose"