South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-20
TESS TAKES SLAP
At LEAGUE PLAN
Representative Shows How
u. S. Will be Bound by
Agreement.

]
yesterday with an address by Rep.
Fess OF Ohio. republican. who de-
clared that the league plan was
/ 'monstrous and filed with vicious
possibilities"
Just as soon as the American peo-
! pie shall grasp the vicious POSSIBLE
tiles herein included" said Mr.. Tess.
there will be such a revolution OF
sentiment aroused that many who
subscribe TO this perpetual surrender
of this republics future TO a vote OF
foreign nations will be. as should be.
repudiated as any enemy to the spir-
! IL and genius OF American institu-
/ tons"
Req. Fess said one OF the princi-
/ pal objections to the league plan
was that it made possible five votes
for the United Kingdom against one
for the United States by permitting
elf-governing dominions or colonies
to become independent members.
THE sovereignty of the United
States" continued the Ohio member.
will be transferred completely to a
| group of European powers 10y mere
vote of the league that matters un-
| der consideration by il might lead to
war.
Any Five Can Bind U. s.
THE executive council. which is to
be the real agency of the league to
enforce its findings, is TO be limited
TO nine members, one each from the
United States, France, Great Britain,
Italy and Japan, and one each from
four other states to be selected by
the body Of delegates. The decisions
of each body of delegates or execu-
tive council are by a majority vote.
so that in all cases the findings OF
the council will be determined by
five members. In other words, any
five members Of the nine voting to-
gether. can bind the United States
without its consent to any matter
falling within the province OF the
league"
mo matter how much the people
Of the United States may wish to
avoid mixing in European or Asiatic
policies, any five of the nine men,
bers can fix the responsibility upon
this country.
ITO be specific, article 10. author
ICES the league to vest mandatory
authority and select the nation TO eX-
ercise it over such countries recently
under other sovereignty and which
are not yet regarded sufficiently sta
BILE t. maintain stable self-govern-
ment. This article means that by
vote of the league the United States
would have TO undertake the main
tenance Of law and order in Arme-
t,,sa 20, ,1a nv n N E
RIGA.
Moreover, any group of five OF
the nine can fix the character Of our
defensive program, as the question
Of the size OF armament, large or
small. of any member OF the league
is apt TO this vote by article eight"
Most Dangerous Feature.
! Mr. Tess said the most dangerous
feature OF the proposed constitution
to his mind was the provision which
would make the United States a con-
stituent part of a league. which
would exercise supreme authority
! through a body of delegates, without
name or number, each of whom
would have equal authority in AL
matters which would come before 1t
affecting this country.
The matters of consideration are
not defined and therefore not limit |
ed" he said. IF the Monroe doc
trine is included in the Judgment Of
a majority of the members, what re- |
course have we after we have enter
| ed the league which speaks by a |
majority vote. If immigration is in |
cluded, according to a majority of |!
the league, what is our defense? If |
a tariff is included according to the !
| judgment of the majority what have |
we left but TO surrender or commit |
breach Of covenant?
This nation should never under |
any circumstances surrender its SOW
ereignty on any questions which per-
tain to the future welfare, to a vote |
OF league made up of an indeterm-
mate number of countries whose |
major interests cannot be expected |
to be identical with our own"
Mr.. Tess declared that once the
United States had agreed to the pro-
posed league it would not have the
/ power TO compel changes in the con-
stitution for it's benefit.
Article &c, purports to provide for
| amendment or the league, ne Salu.
but OF course, no amendments in the
interests of the United States will
likely ever be made as it requires the
vote of all the nine states which are
/ represented in the council and then
the ratification of three-fourths Of
the states represented in the body Of
/ delegates.
IF it should be claimed by propo-
nents of this preposterous PROPOSE
ton that questions above named are
not included in the league. no man
Of sense will deny that under article
90 amendments can be made by in
terested nations 10 include these
questions"
NEW YORK, Feb. 20. - Scott
| Nearing. one time professor in the
/ 10