The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-22


"On the other hand" he continued.
the executive council is limited to
consultation and recommendation
which the members Of the league are
under no obligation to accept
The fear of a super sovereign
body, to which we are asked to sac
rifice our independence, is the Gre
alton Of an overheated imagination.
No organ Of the league has any au-
thority to give commands to this coun-
try that need give US moments anX-
icty The only substantial powers
that any such body is to possess, be-
! yond making recommendations, are
? derived from an unanimous decision
in an international dispute contrary
to which nation may not go to war;
and from the right to forbid an in
crease in armancnts or to direct the
duties OF II mandate in case We first
agree to the reduction of ;lrmaments
or 10 the assumption Of the man
| date
/ Dr. Lowell summed up his review
Of the league in these words:
! The strength Of such league lies
tp the obligations assumed directly
/! by the several members Of the
! league; and this is both the effective
and least adventurous method of pre-
venting war
'"The opponents of the league" he
continued, set up an imaginary
scarecrow Of their own creation and
! then fire 1T. it with great satisfaction
TO themselves. II the United States
! is not subject to the orders of the
! executive council, it is senseless to
talk OF our being ruled by q body in
which we have only one vote out Of
nine
1t would seem to be clear" DR..
i Lowell said in discussing objections
raised against the league, that the
+; Trainers Of the covenant did not in
! tend TO submit to the council the in
! lerMal affairs Of the members OF the
! league and il there is any serious
doubt on the question there will
doubtless be no objection to making
1t perfectly clear"
Coming 10 the Monroe doctrine,
which he said "was the greatest bug
Ibear OF all" Mr. Lowell expressed the
opinion that the United States would
! oc Justified IN asking for "a clause in
the covenant that no foreign power
should acquire any possession Oh the
American continents or the adjacent
! islands. However. he said, the cove
naGl extended the doctrine over the
world and IL; adoption would relieve
!; , u t.tf. Of
!; nIperi;,listic designs on its American
ncigfbors."
Finally" said the spcakeH "ln OBJ
! lection is made TO The covenant on
the ground that its provisions ;,.f.: con-
trary TO the constitution OF tne Unit
ed States. on the ground Thar q treaty
20 limit armamcnts or to require a
ccmmcrcial boycott. or 10 guarantee
! the territory OF another country. or
70 limit the right 10 declare war arc
contrary TO the powers vested in con-
cress. Now il SO happens that all
these things have been regulated by
/ treaties already made, still in exist
| encc and duly ratified by the SEN
ate. Treaties regulating commerce in
various ways have been common and
! are TOO numerous to require citation.
With the npprova; o! the senate
lin 1917. IN agreement MAS made vita
/ England to limit the naval forces Of
/! the TWO countries upon the great
/ lakes
,.Ey The treaty Of 1916 thc United
States guaranteed the sovereignty
iand property Of New Granada over
the 1sthmus Of Panama.
DR.. Lowell cited other treaties and
added:
'.Finally. between 1914 and 1916.
the United States made treaties with
90 nations to refer to arbitration dis
putes of every nature whatsoever
and not to go to war until after the
award.
1T is q little late in the day for
opponents Of the covenant Of Paris to
discover that its treaty obligations
are unconstitutional, and hence, that
all the foregoing are null and void.
This is particularly true Of those SEN
;ltors who voted for many CT these
treaties"
Referring to the farewell address
OF George Washington the speaker
said:
''It was a great document in its
day and SO was the Ten Command !
ments.'
Mr. Lowell concluded rs follows:
The principal obligations the !
United States would assume in the |
league:
ITO respect and preserve against .
external aggression the territorial in
tegrity and existing political inde-
,inndence" OF the small members OF
he league (Articie 10Y.
II do not mean to comment Oh
.hese as 7 go along" he continued. |;
hut Senator Lodge has referred to 4
that and soiG # that had been in eX
stence we could not have taken Gu
"a that France could not have i
,incd against EnSland with us in the
Revolutionary War. But | want
n":rl.' 10 add that had there been
VAT