The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-12
JOHNSON AIMS
HOT SHOT AT
LEAGUE PLAN
Continued from page one)


pose of protecting the Monroe Doc
trine "his affection for it was tepid
and his allegiance feeble"
at is absolutely clear" Senator
Johnson emphasized, "that questions
like immigration, those arising from
the alien land law of California and
similar matters, viii pc within the
jurisdiction of theleague and will be
determinable under the very language
of the covenant. We have observed
that any war OF threat Of war is a
matter of concern to the league, and
if there should arise between men,
bers of the league any dispute likely
to lead to rupture the league will
take cognizance of the dispute and
jurisdiction of the matter,
"a question of immigration might
in the first instance, where a single
individual or numocr sought Gjmis-
sion to the Nation, be held as purely
domestic concern; but if the coun-
| try offended presented to the league
that this question, originally of do
nestle concern, threatened peace and
constituted "a dispute likely to lead to
a RUPTURE the very purposes for
which the league is formed, accord
| ing to its advocates, would of nee
essity require the threat of war or
| the dispute likely to lead to a rup-
ture' to be brought before the league
and there determined. The important
question then becomes whether OF
not the matter constitutes a threat
of war or "a dispute likely to leao
to a rupture and to say that the
league, because the initial argument
arose over a domestic question, would
not take jurisdiction and cognizance
of the impending threat of war and
the possibility of rupture of friend
ly relations of nations would be to
deny to the league exactly what its
advocates contend it possesses and to
take from it any possibility of pre-
vention of war. When a domestic
question lipens into threat of war
it comes within the league.
"Any question, domestic or other
wise under the covenant which threat
ems war or constitutes a dispute
likely to lead to a rupture, of neces-
sity, if the league is to have the
slightest vitality, must come within
the league and be decided by it. 1t
seems, therefore, first, that under the
amendment, domestic questions are
not excepted; and, secondly, that
any question, domestic, or other
wise, which disturbs the peace or is
likely to lead to arupture between
friendly nations shall be decided by
the league. Californians, therefore
if they are interested in Japanese
immigration, if they believe in the
California alien land law; Americans,
if they are jealous of their right to
determine who shall come to our
shores and under what circumstances
and who insist Americans must alone
decide their domestic problems deal
ing with other nationals, cannot sup
port the present league of nations"
Advertising cynically to the Pre-
sident's utterances before the peace
treaty was drawn in regard to the
self-determination of peoples, Senator
johnson said that time would permit
him to discuss but one instance of
what had ensued, the Shantung decis
ion.
To the Japanese empire" he
said, with only 60,000,000 people, we
turned over shamefully and unjustly
and cruelty 40,000,000 of Chinese. To
the autocracy of the Orient we de-
livered 100000 republicans of
China. We made the Orient safe for
democracy by dismembering its only
democracy and handling the parts to
the strongest autocracy on earth.
"The blacklist page in all our his
tory was written when our name was
signed to the treaty delivering
Shantung to Japan. 1t makes a
mockery of our pretensions, and if
the Senate permits it to stand it
stamps us forever with its infamy.
The delivery of China's fairest pro-
vince into Japan with its 40,000,006
people violated not only every word
that had been spoken by us concern
ing the peace but it violated ever
principle of fairness, justice, and
honor. It's justification by the thick
and thin administration papers-and |
presume as we'll by those very good
people who advocate this league
without knowing anything about it
is that the league of nations may ul-
timately right the wrong.
"But remember that with Shanr-
ung given to Japan, its people trans
ferred to the japanese Empire, under
the league of nations, we've, mind
you, the 90 men sitting in the Senate
guarantee for all time by this
league of nations, if we adopt it,
Japan's territorial integrity and pol
itical independence. We have not
only committed crime, in the first
instance, but we have guaranteed
the crime for all time.
ave give by the peace treaty
Shantung to Japan and by the league
of nations, part of the same docu-
ment, we guarantee Shantung to
Japan, and guarantee it with our
treasure and our blood.