Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-06-30
ARTICLE XVI
Sanctions Behind Obligations

The world war has brought home the
need Of having behind international
obligations a sanction that shall make
them a binding force, instead Of mere
/ hono1lble eugagemeists. Without ar
tieles X and XVI the league would be
no more than an agreement ON the par
Of the members that they would do
fright, with no eompulsion for those
that broke faith These articles make
liz a real association to maintain and
lenforee peace.
The two articles must be read to-
gether. To a large extent they cover
the same ground, and provide for the
same contingency, article XVI deelar-
ing in part how the obligations of ar
ticle X are to be carried out; and yet
they do not wholly coincide. Cases
may arise which bring one Of them
into effect, but do not touch the 9th
er. II for example, an albitral award
let us say on "a question of i'll treatment
Of citizens, is made in favor of one
nation with which the other fails to
comply, the first may, to Compel com
plianee, attack the second without in
curing the penalties Of article XVI,
because it is not res0rting to war in
disregard of its covenants But the
first nation would not be at libcrty to
destroy the independence or annex the
territory Of the second. That would en-
tail the obligation Of article X. On the
other hand, war for the same cause
begun without submission to inquiry
would be violation of article XVI, but
not of article X if it did not involve
the integrity or independence Of the
country attacked. This was true of our
war in 1912; and on the same prinei
pie President Roosevelt took the
ground that hostilities by European ma
tions to collect claims against Vene
zuela did not violate the Monroe Doc
trine if no annexation Of territory or
destruction of independence was con
templated.
Works Automatically
Article XVI declares that if any
member Of the league should resort to
war in disregard of its covenants it
shall ipso facto be deemed TO have
committed an act of war against all
other members Of the league, which
hereby undertake Immediately to sub
ieet il to a boycott and blockade, and
to do certain other things. Now. II must
be observed that this sanction is auto.
matte on the part of the nsembers of
the league. In case Of a resort to war
contrary to the covenant, they under
take jointly and severally to subject
the offending nation to the prescribed
penalty immediately-not if and when
directed by the council That body has
no power to order or to release the OBJ
legation which is made by the mem
bers, not with il but with one another
as mutual guarantee. If France, for
example, should be attacked by Ger
many, she would have n right to call
upon us and all the other members Of
the league. to sever all trade and in
tereourse with Germany, and we should
be bound by the covenant TO do what
soeyer the council might think The oh.
legation is absolute, and the council
has nothing TO do with the matter, ex.
.cept to recommend what, if any, mill.
.tary and naval forces the members Of
the league shall severally contribute.
The members Of the league agree
that an attack made in disregard Of
the covenant upon any one OF them
shall be deemed an act of war against