Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-08-21
THE PRESIDENTS PLEA.


eipn relations committee relative to the ratiflca-
ton of the peace treaty and the acceptance Of the
covenant of the league of nations, cannot but re-
move from its path in the United States senate
numerous of the objections which have been
urged against it by enthusiastic republican men,
bers Of that body who, the people have been
forced to conclude, have held their positions be-
cause Of political prejudice rather than by reason
of any clear understanding Of the instrument It
self or valid fears based upon solid foundations.
'eThe channels OF trade are barred by war,
when there is no war" and "our full. normal prof.
liable production waits on peace, were among
the utterances of the president III urging lmmedl-
ate favorable action. Reinforced by the fact that
the president explained away several "bogies"
which do not exist. these assertions must appeal
strongly to the citizen who is tired Of the hue and
cry at Washington; who has heard "artice 10''
arraigned as a menace to the worlds peace and
prosperity; who, without really knowing has
feared it might be SO and who has struggled
along in the face of the advancing cost of liv-
ing, hoping against hope that something would
happen, somewhere that would again start the
wheels of industry and tighten his daily bur-
dens.
AS trade proposition with which the pros
perity of America is intimately associated, the
president has pointed out clearly that if the Uni
ted States does not take action soon will find
that the nations of Europe will have coraled the
business Of that continent to the exclusion OF
American houses. Already we have an example
of that A few weeks ago when the bars were
lifted to admit the representatives OF American
houses into Germany the versatile Yankee sales
men who had been camping on the border TOR
weeks awaiting just such an order, found that
he had been preceded by British and French.
The trade proposition also comes closer home
to the resident of Montana, for the president
cited in his statement the copper mines of the
Treasure state as example OF an industry
that is being throttled BY lack Of an outlet which
a ratification of the treaty would provide. The
copper mines are but one instance in which Mon
tana would be affected.
But the matter of trade, of course, must be
secondary No would wish an American
congress to ratify a treaty which had been
shown weak and inefficient merely to protect its
industries in a foreign market. That brings US
back to consideration of those portions of the
presidents statement to the committee having
to do with the objections which have been
urged against it upon the floor of the senate and
in the republican press.
The simple language in which the president
referred to them will give the man who is not
a student Of international law, a fair grasp of
the basis upon which the attacks against the
league have been made, and, we believe, will con-
vince him that those attacks have not been we'll
founded
In the first place it is expressly stated that
the Monroe doctrine is in no way to be impaired
or nterferred with; that domestic issues are not
involved and that these questions are ones which
could not be considered by an international body
without express authority, and that withdrawal
from the league is left to the nations interested
as "a matter of conscience" In this regard, the
president said:
Il must say that it did not seem to me worth
while to propose that the article be made more
explicit because | knew that the United States
would never itself propose to withdraw from the
league if its conscience not entirely clear as
to the fulfillment of all it's international obliga-
tions It has never failed to fulfill them and
never will
dent Wilson is firm in his declaration that it is
really the backbone of the whole thing and that
without it the league would be nothing more than
debating society. Article 10 is the one under
which the nations of the league will undertake
to respect and preserve against external ag
gresson the territorial integrity and exiting po-
litical independence Of all members of the
leapl1e'