Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-11
LEAGUE DEFENDER
WARNS SENATORS
Amendments to Covenant Will
Undo Stupendous Labors,
Says Walsh, Of Montana
NO PERIL TO CONSTITUTION
Nv the Associated Press


Washington, June 11.-Asserting that
opponents of the league of nations nave
trnmped UP many unsupportable OBJ
iections to play upon popular senitive-
ness. Senator Walsh. Democrat. of
Montana. defended the league covenant
In the Senate today against charges that
il subverts the American constitution
Answering Senators Lodge and knox
and others who have urged constitu-
tional objections, the Montana senator
declared their arguments founded on
theories long since disproved. lie
quoted many precedents to support MS
nosition that the covenant neither sets
aside any constitutional prerogative nor
assumes any new power in treaty
making.
Charges that the league would be
.'superstate" he declared to be mere
defamation since the organism IN
most of the provisions complained OF
could only "advise" or "rccommend'
The celebrated Article 10, he continued
certainly would bind the United states
n make war in certain instances, nut
added that the same obligation had been
assumed by various treaties mace ny
this government in the past.
.'The people,. said Mr.. Walsh, nave
nm intense pride in and just reverence
for their national constitution. II
well founded apprehension that any
policy runs counter to the commands OF
the organic law can be excited, 1t serves
often as well as complete demonstra
tion TO accomplish its rejection. lt re-
sults that scarcely measure of great
national Importance comes before either
branch of Congress that is not aSS"i'eu
as being unconstitutional.
Quotes Precedent Of Panama
.'In an address delivered IN me
Senate on December IS last by the
i,,uior senator from PennSylVahla
Senator Knox a question was raised
by the following inquiry and comment
:. How could the President. by nego
tiatinr a treaty, and the Senate, by
consenting to its ratification. bind TINS
country to declare war? a declaration
Of war is. under the constitution pre-
rogative of Congress.
..The covenant does undoubtedly
should the treaty be signed. obllgate
this country to make war. But we nave
not hesitated heretofore to assume a
like obligation. We entered into treaty
with the republic of Panama, the hrst
article of which is as follows:
i" Article I The United States guar
antees and will maintain the indPpend
ence of the republic of Panama
.'No one can doubt the significance OF
that undertaking. We go to war with
any country that attempts to reduce the
country by whose concession we built
the Panama canal. The treaty was
entered into in the year 1904. the late
Theodore Roosevelt being President OF
the United States. and Philander c.
Knox. now a senator from the state OF
Pennsylvania. his attorney general and
official legal adviser.
'Among those voting to ratify il
were the following. still members of the
Senate: Senators Lodge. McCumber
3 Nelson. Penrose, Simmons, Smoot and
Warren.
''What is the Monroe Doctrine. but
voluntary obligation assumed by the
United States to respect and preserve
as against external aggression (exter
nal in this case signifying trans
oceanic) the republics of South and
Central American