Baxter Springs news., 1919-05-23
lBDsII0N TO
Peace LEAGUE
Republican Majority. In Senate Likely
10 InsiHt Upon Amendment Of Cow
snant- Careful Consideration
Of Document Is Essential

Il Is evident that there will be some
rough shedding for the Covenant Of
the League Of Nations when IL reaches
the United States Senate. Opposition
in that body Is rapidly developing.
Senator Knox seems to have sounded
the Key note of the campaign In his
statement recently 10 the effect that
for the Senate TO approve the Cow
enant in It's present form would mean
suicide for our national sovereignty.
He insists -and in this he is supported
By many Of the ablest Republican
lawyers in the Senate-that certain
sections Of the proposed Covenant
constitute an extremely dangerous
abridgment Of the fundamental pow
ers of our government, and that
amend Is necessary to protect Ameri-
cas- control over her own domestic in
terests.
It may, Of course, be possible for
opposition to the Covenant to assume
a purely partisan aspect and 60 be-
yond the bounds of reason, but it is
certainly highly desirable that this
supremely important matter be con-
sidered and discussed exhaustively by
the Senate before final action is taken.
Serious minded men everywhere, re-
gardless of party affiliation, are will
ing to accord to President Wilson full
credit for his efforts to set up inter-
national cooperation machinery cal
culated, if properly conceived and
wisely operated, to promote the peace
and welfare of the world; and doubt
less in other countries, where people
do less thinking and have less to say
about the management of their gov
ernment affairs, the Covenant will be
regarded as a great boon and accept
ed without question. Such action in
America would, however, not only be
unfortunate for ourselves but it would
be unfair to the rest of the world.
Every real American knows, and the
other people of the world are rapidly
coming to understand, that we have
here in this country the best form Of
government that the mind Of man has
yet conceived The whole world also
knows that our guiding purpose in in
ternational affairs is devoid of selfish
ness. And it is because Of this uni
versal belief in the soundness of our
governmental system and ideas and
this confidence in our motives that the
Peace Conference Representatives Of
the nations of the world accepted with
SO little question the League of Ma
tions plan as presented to them by
President Wilson They accepted the
Covenant not as the plan of President
Wilson, the individual, but as the con-
ception of the American people, and
in this view they were in a measure
correct; for the President has, in
seeking to bring about international
cooperation for the purpose of insur-
ing lasting peace, unquestionably
voiced the desire of our people.
It is unfortunately true, however,
that the Covenant itself, even in its
amended form, is not the direct pro-
duct of the American people as a
whole; in fact it is little more than
President Wilson's personal and rath-
er hasty guess as to what the people
of this country really desire to under
take in the way of international CO.
operation for the preservation Of
world peace. 1t could hardly be 9th
erwise when, prior to President Will
sons first trip to Paris, there had nev-
er been any serious nationwide
thought or discussion as to the ques-
ton of q League Of Nations and no
opportunity for the capitalization of