The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-16
Aiabarnian Says League is
Practical Step and In
wolves No Sacrifice of
Sovereignty.
.SELFISHNESS GIVEN
A CAUSE OF WAR
Organization of League Not
Held Up as Super-Cov.
ernrnent But Iroper Step
in Direction World Peace.

Washington, July 15-C l"racterlzing
the League of Nations as practical
step toward world peace involving no
sacrifice of national sovereignty Sem
ator Oscar w. Underwood, democrat,
of Alabama, urged in the senate today
acceptance of the league covenant
without amendment or reservation.
THE great causes of war he said,
may be paraphased in two words:
National selfishness.' Until the civili-
zation OF the world is prepared to de-
throne it's selfish ideals and to recog-
nize the rights of other peoples the in
herent causes of war must continue to
exist.
II am not prepared to say that thu
adoption of the present treaty carries
within itself the elimination of these
causes of war, or that in the end there
that, within the folds of this ire tty
we find an agreement between The
great nations OF the world that prob
ably will in the future carry the ques
final arbitration and in many i. not
most all instances, avoid the aorrors
and injustices Of war.
Il do not regard the organization of
the league as a super government. No
super-government could exist withou.
power to maintain itself, within it
self, the league has not power to levy
taxes, and without revenue. a govern
ment cannot long exist. The league
has no power to raise armies and
navies. and without military forces, it
cannot defend itself. With the right
to withdraw, l feel that there is no
need to fear the dangerous surrender
of any of the fundamental principles
and rights of the American people.
Therefore, 1 am willing to take it and
try it and hope that from the seed that
IT planted today, in it's fruition The
final peace of the world may be
found.
Il am more interested in the prin-
ciples enunciated in the clauses relat-
ing to the League of Nations than l
am in the power given for its govern
ment, for on those principles the flu
ture life of the league must depend.
1 would have been glad to subscribe
to a contract that would have arbi-
trarily limited the ornaments of the
world. Such a decree is not found
within, the contract, but there is a
cove4.dnt that seeks to keep the peace
of the world, that authorizes the ex-
ecutive council of the league to con-
ider how much the present arma-
ments of nations should be reduced.
Another vital principle that we are
asked to agree to is that all of the
members of the league shall submit
differences between them that are not
capable of being settled by negotiation
before a tribunal to be composed of
judges or arbitrators agreed to by
them and after entering into the ar
bitration, they are required to abide
by the award.
But the greatest principles of the
league tending to keep the peace of
the world is that which declares the
high contracting parties to this treaty
shall undertake to respect and preserve
against external aggression the politi-
cal independence and the territorial
integrity of every member of the
league Most of the wars that have
been waged in the ages that have
passed have had as their governing
cause the desire to conquer and con-
troll another people, or to expand the
territory of the country that is the ag-
gressor in the war. Prevent the in
centive for war growing out of a self
ish desire for aggression, as the over
weening force of this covenant will do.
and few actual causes of war will re-
main that cannot without difficulty
or danger be submitted to the high
court of arbitration.
You may say then, why should we
become involved in an alliance that
may drag US into the disputes, the
disasters. and the dangers of other
nations? This was the doctrine our
fathers believed in, and one that I
am slow TO yield But we face a con-
dition, not a theory. Time and space
have been eliminated. Dangers to our
people and our republic that were not
dreamed of a century ago confront us
today at our very doors, a threatening
menace to our lives, our civilization
and our institutions. Shall we con-
tinue to dream of the ideals of the
past, or meet as practical men the
dangers of the future? For me, there
is but one course 10 pursue