The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-09-27

ADDS: me dispute shall be SO
referred at the request of either
party to the dispute. - So if either
party desires that the matter be
considered and adjudged by the
Assembly, the dispute "shall" be
SO referred.
We are told by our esteemed
contemporary that the action of
the Council in any disputed mat
ter must be unanimous, and that
as long as we hold out with our
one vote, Of course the decision
cannot be unanimous. This seems
rather childish. For usually in a
dispute of national Importance
one side is aware of being in the
wrong: even if both sides were
convinced of being in the right,
there would be hesitancy in sub
uniting certain matters to the AS
sembly. For example. Suppose
controversy occurred between
the United States and Japan.
According to our contemporary,
we could hold out and refuse to
have the matter taken up by
the Assembly. And still, para
graph Z Of the same Article Is
states explicitly: eff the Council
fails to reach a report which is
unanimously agreed to by the
members thereof, OTHER THAN
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF
ONE OR MORE OF THE PART
les TO THE DISPUTE, the mem
bers Of the League reserve to
themselves the right to take such
action as they shall consider
necessary for the maintenance of
right and justice. "
So from this paragraph it APP
pears that the unanimous vote
spoken of excludes the parties to
the dispute. In other words, there
are nine members on the Council.
If trouble arises between two
members, and the Council is to
decide the matter, a unanimous
vote will mean seven, since the
two parties to the dispute are ex-
cluded; they are not to vote in
this matter. This is the plain
language Of the Covenant surely
in this part it needs revision.
Now, if by such vote the con-
troversy passes into the jurisdic-
ton of the Assembly, it is easy
to see of what value England s
six votes will be as against our
one. 1t is easy to understand how
England, like any other nation,
might be influenced in her voting,
and th4ls cast the weight Of six
votes in the final decision.
Whatever, therefore, may be
said in favor or against the divi-
sion of power between the Coun-
ell and the Assembly, evidently
there is need Of revision either in
the wording Of the two paragraphs
quoted or in the Interpretation to
be placed thereon.
If, as Mr.. Wilson emphatically
declares, it makes no difference
even if Great Britain does control
six votes, then why not give a vote
also to Ireland. Surely Ireland is
an important unit in the British
empire. Why not bestow a vote on
each of the sovereign states of
America. If the vote, as we are
told, is merely a compliment to
the various colonies, then why not
extend the same complimentary
courtesies to the various states of
this country.
The facts, as clear from the
wording of the Covenant, show
that it is really necessary to have
some reservations included, some
amendments adopted, to safe
guard our rights. Otherwise
American independence will be
placed IN the hands or foreign
powers, the Monroe Doctrine will
be jeopardized, and the liberty for
which we and our fathers fought
so valiantly will become subject
to the disposition Of the allied and
assembled" nations.
Let us have a treaty and a
league Of nations. But after
America has thrown the weight
of resources into the conflict, and
has thus decided the war for the
allied nations, let us not, after
attaining victory on the battle
field, court defeat at the hands of
willy and intriguing European
politicians.