The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-07-10
THE ROOT RESERVATIONS IN
CONNECTION WITH LEAGUE.

The suggestion from Elihu Root
that certain reservations be adopted
in connection with the league Of ma
lions covenant were evidently made in
the hope of expediting ratification OF
the treaty with Germany and not be-
cause such action will remedy all the
defects of the covenant Mr.. Root APP
parently has grave doubts regarding
the power of the senate to segregate
the league covenant and the treaty
He refers to the necessity for indus
trial revival in Europe, and this can
not come until peace Is finally ac-
complished. He therefore proposes
that the senate accept the covenant
with three reservations which would
eliminate article 10, which would
guarantee the right to withdraw from
the league, and which would specific
ally recognize the Monroe doctrine
Article 10, which Mr.. Root would cut
out entirely, follows:
''.The members of the league un-
dertake to respect and preserve as
against external aggression the
territorial integrity and existing
political independence of all mem
bers of the league. In case OF any
such aggression or in case of any
threat or danger of such agrees
sion, the council shall advise up
on the means by which this obli-
cation shall be fulfilled"
On defining the reasons why this ar
ticle should be eliminated wholly, Mr.
Root says, in part;
IF we agree to this article, 1t is
extremely probable that We shall
be unable to keep our agreement.
Making war nowadays depends
upon the genuine sympathy of the
people of the country at the time
when the war has to be carried
on. The people of the United
States certainly will not be will
ing ten years or twenty years
hence to send their young men to
distant parts of the world to fight
for causes in which they may not
believe or in which they have lit
tie or no interest If that is the
attitude of the people when we
are hereafter called upon to wage
war under Article 10 no general
indefinite agreement made years
before will make them disposed to
worst possible position, of having
made an agreement and not keep
ing 1t.
"Our people ought not to be
forced into such a position, and
we ought not to make any agree
ment that Is liable to force them
into such a position"
Even with the proposed reservations
adopted, Mr.. Root displays little faith
in the league of nations as means OF
preventing war, for further along In
his discussion he says:
II certainly should not advise
,.a;,u tho laagua rnyepant in
it's present form as the final word
upon an organization for the
preservation of the peace of the
world / think that when the SEN
ate consents to the ratification OF
the treaty with some such reser-
vations as / have indicated, 1t
ought also to adopt a separate
resolution not a part of the action
upon the treaty, but practically
at the same time, formally re-
questing the president without
any avoidable delay to open ne
gotations with the other powers
for the establishment and
strengthening Of a system of arbi-
tration for the disposition of In
ternational disputes upon ques-
lions of right, and for periodical
meetings of representatives OF all
the powers for the revision and
development Of international
law"
Mr. Root evidently regards the
early ratification of the peace treaty
the most pressing matter at this time,
and to accomplish that he is willing
to take a chance with the league or
nations with the reservations named.
when one considers the many ques-
tons covered by the covenant, the
many and widely differing national-
ties involved, and the many conflict
ing opinions regarding the interpre-
tation of its provisions that are al
ready apparent and which will GER
tainly arise as time goes on, 1t Is sur
prising that Mr.. Root would consent
to our country entering the league
under any conditions. In suggesting
that the senate proceed at once to per-
feet a system Of arbitration and the