Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-08-27

tueIo Was any comparable agreement
anywhere else in existence or In con-
temptation, but only because 1t was
thought best to avoid the appearance
OF dealing in such a document with
the policy Of silgle nation.
Domestic Questions Exempt.
With regard to domestic questions
Article XVI Of the covenant expressly
provides that, II in case of any dispute
arising between members of the
league the matter involved is claimed
by one OF the parties "and is found
by the council to arise out of mat
Ger which by international law is SOLE
ly within the domestic jurisdiction of
that party, the council support and
snail make no recommendation as to
Its settlements The United States
was by no means the only government
interested in the explicit adoption of
this proposition, and there is no doubt
in the mind of any authoritative stu
dent of international law that such
matters as immigration, tariffs, and
naturalization are incontestably do
nestle questions with which no inter-
national body could deal without ex
press authority to do so.
Right to Withdraw.
The right of any state to withdraw
had been taken for granted but no
objection was made to making 1t ex-
pNcit. So soon as the views ex
pressed at the White House confer
ence were laid before the commission,
it was at once conceded that it was
best not to leave the answer to so
important question to interference,
no proposal was made to set up any
tribunal to pass judgment upon the
question whether withdrawing ma.
ton had in fact fulfilled "all its inter-
national obligations and all it's obli-
cations under the covenant" It was
recognized that the question must be
left to be resolved by the concern of
the nation proposing to withdraw: and
l must say that it did not seem to me
worth while to propose that the ar
t1cle be made more explicit because !
knew that the United States would
never itself propose to withdraw from
the league if it's conscience was not
entirely clear as to the fulfillment Of
its international obligation, it has
never failed to fulfill them and never
will.
No Doubt About Article Ten.
Article X is in no respect of doubt
ful meaning when read in the light OF
the covenant as a whole. The council
of the league can only advise upon"
the means by which the obligations
of that great article are to be given
effect to unless the United States Is
a party to the policy or action in ques,
ton, her own affiliative vote in the
council Is necessary before any advice
can be given for a unanimous vote of
the council is required II she is a
party the trouble is hers anyhow, and
the unanimous vote of the council is
only advice in any case Each gov.
eminent is free to reject it If it
pleases. Nothing could have been
made more clear to the conference
than the right Of our Congress under
our constitution to exercise it's indie.
peace and war. No attempt was made
to question or limit that right. The
United States will undertake under
Article K to respect and preserve as
against external aggression the terri.
torlal integrity and existing political
independence of all members of the
league" and that engagement constf.
totes a very grave and solemn moral
obligation. But it is a moral, not a
legal obligation, and leaves our Con.
gress absolutely free to put its own
Interpretation upon 1t in all cases that
call for action.
Article X seems to me to consti.
tute the very backbone of the whole
covenant. Without it the league
would be hardly more than an influen-
tial debating society.
interpretations Acceptable.
1t has several times been suggested.
In public debate and in private confer.
ence, that interpretations of the sense
In which the United States accepts
the engagements of the covenant
should be embodied in the instrument
OF ratification. There can be no rea.
sonable objection to such interpreta.
tions, which should not, however, con.
stltute part of the formal resolution
of ratification, long delays would be
the inevitable consequence. inasmuch
as all the many governments concern.
ed would have to accept, in effect the
language of the senate as the Ian
guage of the treaty before ratifica,
ton would be complete The assent
OF the German assembly at Weimer
would have to be obtained among the
rest, and l must frankly say that !
could only with the greatest reluct.
ance, approach that assembly for DER.
mission to read the treaty as we I'm.
derstand it and as those who framed
1t quite certainly understand it. If the
United States were to qualify the
document in any way, moreover, !
am confident from what know OF the
many conferences and debates whicb
accompanied the formulation of the
treaty, that our example would imme
diately be followed in many quarters
In some Instances with very serious
reservations, and that the meantnf
and operative force of the treat,
would presently be clouded from -
end OF its clauses to the otha3.