The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-20
PRESIDENT TELLS COMMITTEE
ON FOREIGN RELATIONS hE
CANNOT UNDERSTAND DOUBTS
OF MEMBERS WHO OPl'OSE
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
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mission on the League OF Nations ana
every suggestion OF the United states
was accepted
"In view Of the United States win
regard TO the questions ] have men
toned had. In fact. already been nc
ccpted by the commission and there
was supposed TO be nothing inconsis''
ent with them In the draft Of the cove
nant first adopted-the draft which
was the subject OF our discussion In
March-but no objection was mace W
saying explicitly In the text what a''
had supposed to be implicit In H.
There was absolutely no doubt as 10
the meaning Of any one OF the result
ing provisions OF the covenant IN 'he
minds Of those who participated III
drafting them, and l respectfully SUD
init that there IL nothing vague OF
doubtful in their wording
Nothing Is Concealed
The Monroe doctrine Is expressly
mentioned as an understanding which
is in no way to be impaired or inter
ferred with by anything contained In
the covenant, and the expression re
gional understandings like the Mohroe
doctrine" was used. not because any
one OF the conferees thought there was
any comparable agreement anywhere
else in its existence or In cohteHPia
ton. but because 1t was thought pes'
IN avoid the appearance OF dealine III
such n document with the pohcy Oh
n single nation. Absolutely nothing
is concealed in the phrase.
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 a matter which
nv international law Is losely within the
domestic jurisdiction Of that party. the
council shall SO report, and shall make
no recommendation as to Its settle
ment." The United States was py no
means the only government Interested
in the explicit adoption of this provision,
and there Is no doubt In the mind OF
any authoritative student OF interna
tional law that such matters as immi'
grafton, tariffs and naturalization are
domestic questions with
which no international body could deal
without express authority to do so. No
Of domestic questions was
because to undertake II,
even by sample. would have involved
the danger of seeming to exclude those
not mentioned.
THE right Of any sovereign state TO
withdraw had been taken for granted,
but no objection was made to making
it explicit. Indeed. so soon as the
views expressed at the White House
were laid before the COM
mission It was at once conceded that
il was best not to leave the answer to
so important a question to inference.
No proposal was made to set up any
tribunal to pass judgment upon the
question whether a withdrawing nation
had in fact fulfilled all its internation'
al obligations and all its obligations un-
der the covenant. 1t was recognized
that that question must be left to be
solved by the conscience OF the nation
to withdraw; and j must say
that it did not seem to me worth whiie
to propose that the article be made
more explicit, because l knew that the
United States would never itself propose
10 withdraw from the league if its con
science was not entirely clear as to
he fulfillment of all its international
obligations. 1t has never failed to fulfill
hem and never will.
Article Y Is Clear
Article X is in no respect of doubt
'ul meaning when read in the light OF
he covenant as a whole. The council
If the league can only advise upon
he means by which the obligations OF
hat great article are to be given ef-
ect. Unless the United States is par
y to the policy or action in question,
Ter own affirmative vote in the coun-
Ill is necessary before any advice can
,e given, for a unanimous vote OF the
council is required. If she is party.
he trouble is hers anyhow and the
unanimous vote of the council is only
Idvice in any case. Each government
s free to reject it if it pleases.
Nothing could have been made more
lear to the conference than the right
# our congress. under our constitu-
ion, to exercise its Independent Judg-
nent in all matters of peace and war.
20 attempt was made to question or
init that right. The United States
will, indeed, undertake under article y
o respect and preserve as against eX'
ernal aggression the territorial integ.
ity and existing political independence
f all members of the league and that
Engagement constitutes a very grave
nd solemn moral obligation. But it is
. moral, not a legal obligation, and
caves our congress absolutely free to
,ut its own Interpretation upon 1t in
IL cases that call for action. 1t Is
,inding in conscience only. not in law.
Backbone of the Covenant.
Article Y seems 70 me to constitute
he very backbone of the whole coven-
mt. Without it the league would be
lardly more than an influential debat
ng society.
TT has several times been suggested,
n public debate and in private confer
nee, that interpretations Of the sense
n which the United States accepts the
OF the covenant should be
in the instrument OF ratifica-
ion. There can be no reasonable OBJ
ection to such interpretations accom-
the act Of ratification, provided
hey do not form a part OF the formal
atification itself. Most of the inter.
rotations which have been suggested
o me embody what seems to me to be